BackAbhishek Kapoor | ‘Fitoor’ is about love and Kashmir is just the setting
The filmmaker, whose latest film 'Fitoor' arrives in the theatres next month, on the apolitical nature of his love story and why he isn't afraid of failure anymore
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New Delhi: Abhishek Kapoor was just another struggling actor in the mid-1990s. Four disasters in a row and he disappeared from the scene only to resurface a few years later with a directorial venture called Aaryan: Unbreakable. The Sohail Khan-starrer about the dreams and aspirations of a young boxer was a complete washout and Kapoor was almost forgotten when he came up with a musical drama called Rock On!! in 2008. Bollywood’s first take on the rock band culture, the film not just launched the acting and singing careers of the multi-faceted Farhan Akhtar but instantly put Kapoor in a league that had proved elusive for years. Having followed it up with the critically acclaimed Kai Po Che!, Kapoor has most recently been in the news for his upcoming romantic drama Fitoor. The adaptation of Charles Dickens’s Great Expectations is set in Kashmir, features actors Tabu, Katrina Kaif and Aditya Roy Kapur in lead roles and will arrive in the theatres next month. In the capital to promote his new film, Kapoor spoke about the apolitical nature of his love story and why he isn’t afraid of failure anymore. Edited excerpts:
Fitoor is bigger in scale, glamour and action than all your previous films. Does that make you nervous?
No, it doesn’t. Fitoor is bigger in scale because we shot in Kashmir. But the pressure is the same as the other films, the effort and hard work put in is the same. In fact, there was much more pressure in my earlier movies.
I don’t feel any pressure when I’m bringing a movie out, I only feel it when I’m working on it. The thought is that while I’m making the film for the audience, I’m also making it for myself and I know I won’t get a second chance. I don’t ever want to look back on a movie-making experience and say I was a little lazy and wish I’d done better. So I put everything into it. You can only give it a 100%, there is no such thing as 101%.
How is Fitoor close to your heart?
When you go through this process of living with a movie for three years, it becomes a part of you. And it’s special because it’s taken so much of you that you’re changed as a human being. In fact, all my movies have been extremely demanding in terms of commitment. For instance, we’d shoot Kai Po Che!in 50 degrees (Celsius) heat. These are serious films, not one of those where you say you can leave your brains at home. Also, people are very unforgiving of them. If there’s a small flaw, they’ll pick on you immediately. When you make rom-coms and comedies, nobody asks you those questions. Those are made for the box office. But these are films I’d want to remain on the shelves for years to come.
So ‘Fitoor’ is not a film made for the box office?
Of course, it is. I understand that this is a creative space but it’s also a very expensive exercise. You should ensure that people who invest get their money back and see profit in it. But that’s not the only aim. Box office is a prerequisite but there are other standards that I personally set out for my film. I would want to give it a timeless feel.
A lot of big-ticket films have performed below par last year. Do you think there is something wrong with the way big films are being made?
For me a big film is one with a big idea, it’s not about the costs or who’s starring in it. Stars at the end of the day are only interested in building their own brand. They are competing with each other for higher box office returns and are seen in the final leg of a film’s journey, which is marketing. The filmmaker cares for his movie. But unfortunately, big bucks are spent when a big star is involved. I think the investment should be more towards the filmmaker than the star. He should be trusted more. That transition is happening but we’re not there yet.
You probably had a lot of scripts to choose from or ones you could’ve written yourself. Why ‘Great Expectations’ and what were the challenges that came with adapting from literature?
First of all, I’m not offered too many scripts because I don’t think there are too many floating in the industry. Secondly, I chose Great Expectations because it has love at its heart and that’s not a subject I’ve tackled. My aim as a director is to be as versatile as I can. I think it’s more interesting when people can’t see my stamp on a movie and they still like it. I hope there is no typical Abhishek Kapoor style of filmmaking and every film should just be remarkably different from the others.
When you write your own story, you can choose any direction because people don’t know what to expect. But when you take on a book, people know that world and they may not be filmmakers but they definitely have an imagination. So you have their expectations to deal with. It doesn’t make anything easier, you still have to get down to it and create a satisfying movie experience.
When a filmmaker sets his film in Kashmir or his story has anything to do with it even remotely, he treads on very sensitive territory. Were you at all fazed by that?
No, this film is absolutely non-political. We haven’t made any political statements. A lot of filmmakers are already doing it and I think it’s really cool to be anti-establishment and so on but I don’t think I’m qualified for it. India is very complex and so is Kashmir. If I had to comment on the political scenario, I would make a documentary and try in bring in as many facts as possible to let people decide what is right. Being a director gives you great power but you can also influence so many people with your point of view. This film is purely about love and Kashmir is just the setting with its beauty and enchanting quality.
You’ve been part of the industry in various capacities for so long. How do you think corporatization has changed the film business?
I think corporates come in with a lot of power, muscle and the ability to deliver your film to the final destination with a lot more ease than an independent producer would be able to. The cost of filmmaking is so high, the avenues have widened so much that it’s beyond an individual’s capacity. So I welcome corporate presence in the industry and fortunately, I have a very good equation with UTV (that produced both Kai Po Che! and Fitoor).
You have your own production house now-Guy in the Sky. How did that come about? Are you looking at only producing your own films?
When you’re a director, a part of you is always a producer. But at earlier stages, you don’t get that platform. Fortunately we’ve found the space now and for Fitoor, I’ve turned producer in a more legitimate way. I’ve always looked forward to some ownership on my films. Making a movie is like making a baby and when you own it, you work even harder on it. Also, this will give me an opportunity to bring in new directors, new ideas and push the envelope. When I came in, there was either mainstream Bollywood or art-house cinema. Today, the platforms have changed, and you’ve got to be on your toes. It’s such an exciting time to be around. There’s a lot in the pipeline, a lot of filmmakers I’m talking to, lot of scripts in development and a lot of associations I’m looking forward to.
From actor to director to producer, you’ve been around for so many years. What lessons have you learnt?
I’ve learnt to be humble because I’ve seen a really dark time in the early part of my career and it was so dark that I had no hope. But I pulled through. With Rock On!!, it was like being underwater for many years and then your head pops out and people can see that you existed. Success doesn’t get me too excited now. At first, I thought Aaryan would be that one film that would do it for me. Then I thought Rock On!! would be it, then Kai Po Che! and now I think Fitoor is the one. You keep striving. But I don’t have that fear of failure. I’m cautious of it, I don’t want to go back there but even if I did, I know I’ll bounce back.
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