He arrived on the bollywood scene with the mega hit Gadar. And followed it up with The Hero. Director Anil Sharma is now gearing up with his multi-starrer Ab Tumhare Hawale Watan Sathiyo. With an impressive cast, captivating visuals and an endearing story of relationships, the film promises wholesome entertainment.
Anil Sharma in an exclusive interview with bollywood, talks about the movie experience, which has the elusive Amarnath Yatra and an engaging warship sequence. The film starring Amitabh Bachchan, Bobby Deol, Akshay Kumar, Sandali Sinha and Divya Khosla is slated for a November 12 release.
What is Ab Tumhare Hawale Watan Sathiyo about? Like the tag line says, it is an unusual journey of love. It's a love story with an army backdrop. My film deals with the conflict of values between people. Contrary to what people think, the film doesn't have action as its mainstay. The film tells the story of relationships.
How long did the filming take? Shooting happened in seven months flat! Our pre-production team was very efficient. So, planning, scheduling and shooting all worked clock-wise.
Be it Gadar, The Hero, you have always worked a huge canvas. What is the setting of ATHWS that viewers will get to see? Yes. ATHWS has an equally huge canvas. I am comfortable working with a big setting. Besides I believe that it is the film that decides the canvas. I was greatly appreciated for my work with dealing with a huge scale in The Hero. Hope people like it this time too.
Who has coordinated action for the film? Tinu Verma has done the action for the film.
Is it going to be another action flick? Be it Gadar or The Hero, action in my films is not without reason. I firmly believe that action in a film should be incidental. Spraying bullets in the air doesn't make great cinema, an engrossing plot does.
Will the music of this film have a different flavor? Anu Mallik has scored the soundtrack and Sameerji has penned the lyrics. The tracks have an ethnic feel to it. The album has the conventional Punjabi beats, a Rajasthani track, a bhajan and count a patriotic piece too. Our efforts are at a healthy mix of good music.
Pick a track that you like best Predictably, I like the entire album. But there is this Shiv bhajan that has been recorded with a modern feel to it. I find it very interesting.
Tell us about the Amitabh Bachchan song that is on air currently Like most Amitji songs, Sudesh Bhosle has sung this one too. Dil Le gayi kurti malmal ki has been picturised with lot of color and energy.
Does the film have strong emotional content? Yes. I believe no film can work unless it spins a strong plot. And ATHWS sure has an emotional grip over its audiences. Be it the relation between Amitabh and Bobby, or between Akshay and his love interest, the film pulls emotional strings for sure.
It is your first film with Amitabh. What was the experience like? Oh it's been tremendous. Amitji is fabulous to work with. A thorough professional and a total enthusiast, working with him was a dream come true.
How have you presented Big B in the film? Bachchanji is a Sikh in the film. He is playing Bobby Deol's grandfather. I always see Amitabh as a powerful, intelligent and humane person. So, I have thrown that into the characterization. Trust me, audiences will get to see an Amitabh that they have always wanted to.
What about Akshay Kumar and Bobby Deol? They were great to work with. Akshay's character has a shayrana andaaz to him, while Bobby is a fun to work with. And both have done an excellent job of playing their respective roles.
Akshay has always been a pro with action. What was the case with Bobby? Like I mentioned, his is a light character, so you won't see him do too much of maar-dhaad in the film.
We know little about the female leads in your film. Tell us about them. Among the female leads, there's Nagma who's making an interesting comeback as Bobby's mother. There's Sandali Sinha, who plays a doctor. You will also get to see debutant Divya Khosla, and there's Aarti Chhabria in a special role. Also, I am launching my brother Kapil Sharma. v About Kapil… Kapil plays the role of Trilok Singh. Son of a garib subedar, he has a middle class upbringing. He is a young army officer who is intensely patriotic about his country.
Does your film have anti-Pak tones? Not at all. Instead every time the media suspects an anti-Pak tone in my films, be it Gadar or The Hero, I prove them wrong. ATHWS endorses Indo-Pak ties in good light.
You have recently shot the Amarnath yatra. Quite challenging but you still managed to pull it off. Comment. Filming was very challenging, considering it had to be done in a dispute zone like Kashmir. Shooting was conducted in top security atmosphere. Choppers flew us in. It was a three-day shoot, Kashmir whole-heartedly participated thereby ensuring smooth execution of the event.
Also, there is this warship sequence that is looking mind-blowing in the promos. Yes. It is a first in the history of Indian cinema. It took 5-6 months to secure permission. We had a 100 people crew that needed to be managed. There are portions that required underwater shooting, so we shot 30 km below water. Extremely challenging and hence we enjoyed it twice as much.
What is this sequence? I would not like to talk much about it. But what I can tell you is that it is a rescue operation that we have staged in the film.
Where was it shot? It was shot in Vishakhapatnam.
From being a director, you have now taken on the additional responsibility of producing it too. How do you think you have managed? I am thoroughly enjoying it. Taking on the mantle of producer is no doubt a high-pressure job but what I like about it is that the director-producer friction is completely erased. You don't have to go to another person to take a creative sanction. I am my own boss.
What will your forthcoming films be like? Is it going to be Indo-Pak themes or are you going to try something else? I would like to try my hand at comedy. Also, a period film is on the cards. I eventually want to make films that history will remember. Wholesome, entertaining films is what I want to be known for.
