I Stepped Into Aman Varma’s Shoes When He Did Not Report For My Shooting At The Eleventh Hour
By SAMPURNFriday, June 11, 2010
June 11, 2010 (Sampurn Wire): Suniel Singh, who has produced Ek Second Jo Zindagi Badal De, besides acting in a key role in the film, tells Jyothi Venkatesh ,that he will now launch a film titled Anil Amar Amitabh which will be inspired by the sublime friendship between Anil Ambani, Amar Singh and Amitabh Bachchan.
Why did you take the plunge from politics to producing Ek Second Jo Zindagi Badal De?
All film actors have taken to politics in a big way, whether it is Shatrughan Sinha, Sanjay Dutt, Jaya Prada, Smriti Irani or for that matter Rajesh Khanna. And politicians have become jobless. The media today wants to see as well as listen to glamorous people, not just preaching from the politicians. When I launched my film Ek Second Jo Zindagi Badal De, I thought of adding the glamour quotient to politics.
Does it mean that your interest in politics has dwindled of late?
Today politics has become just a means of recovering what you have invested in the elections. Today the public is scared of the politicians as if they are hard core criminals and the days when politicians were revered and respected even loved are no more. If you ask me whether I belong to any political party, I’d say that I am Independent because my ideology does not match with any political party in our country.
What made you decide to face the camera as an actor?
My jumping into the arena of acting was totally unplanned. It was not something which was planned well in advance. To tell you the truth, I had actually signed on actor Aman Verma to play the role of Sam which I was forced to essay in my film. Aman Varma didn’t report for the shooting at the eleventh hour since he was held up with some previously committed shooting schedule. And I had no other alternative but to step into his shoes and continue shooting with my film in Malaysia, where the entire unit had already camped.
Did you plan to launch any film before you launched Ek Second Jo Zindagi Badal De?
I actually was planning to make a film with both Anurag Basu and Anees Bazmi but the projects did not materialize for various reasons which were beyond my control. I planned to launch Ek Second Jo Zindagi Badal De with Partho Ghosh as the director after I shelved the idea of launching those films.
How would you describe your film?
I’d describe my film, which cost me five crores, as a thriller, which will not only entertain you but also inspire you as well as teach you a lot about fidelity, love and punctuality. Though politics is there in every field today, in Bollywood, there is more politics than even in politics. Today no one wants to take a risk by offering a role to the new comers. When big producers’ have their films flop, because of poor content, it is the small producer who bears the brunt and has to suffer. It is a tragedy that today big producers want stars without bothering about the content of their films, when the fact is that it is only the content coupled with stars like in 3 Idiots that will help films click in a big way.
Why did you zero in on Partho Ghosh?
It is Partho Ghosh’s concept. I have seen almost every film that Partho has made till date, including Agnisaakshi, Dalal, Ghulam E Mustafa, Kaun Sacha Kaun Jhoota, 100 Days etc. I signed on Partho to direct my film because he is a good film maker. Today he may be lying low as far as his career is concerned, but who knows what is in store tomorrow? Today there are bigwigs who do not behave like Subhash Ghai, Vashu Bhagnani etc. Partho may emerge as a big director once again and I would not be even able to afford him for my films then.
What is your role in Ek Second Jo Zindagi Badal De?
I play the role of a publisher in my maiden venture as a producer- Ek Second Jo Zindagi Badal De. Muammar Rana, who is playing a novel writer is my friend in the film. I am not playing the lead. It is Muammar Rana who is playing the lead opposite Manisha Koirala. You will see me trying my hand at both comedy and philosophy in the film and I am seen interacting with Muammar Rana, Manisha Koirala and Nikita Anand. I did not have to prepare for my role even though it is the first time that I have faced the camera. In any case, we are used to a make believe world and are used to telling white lies in politics
Why did you opt for Manisha Koirala to play the lead in your film?
Today in our film industry there are a few performers. I consider Tabu, Urmila Matondkar, Rani Mukerjee, Manisha Koirala etc to be good performers. I needed a performing actor, not just a star. I narrowed down my choice to Manisha because she is a professional through and through.. Jackie Shroff comes into Rashi’s second life when he is married to Roza Catalano, who, by the way, has acted for the first time in a Hindi film.
What message does your film drive home?
The positive message my director Partho Ghosh has tried to drive home through the film is that one can create his or her own destiny and also change one’s own destiny if one wants. Though Manisha Koirala does not play a double role in the film, we show two Rashis in the film. While one fights with destiny, the other believes in destiny. Manisha plays the role of a girl called Rashi who is working as the creative Director in an ad agency. Her life revolves around what happens in one second when life takes a turn and she decides to fight destiny.
What next?
I plan to launch a film called Anil Amar Amitabh which is inspired by the sublime friendship between Anil Ambani, Amar Singh and Amitabh Bachchan. I am also toying with the idea of launching three more films. They are Dil Ya Bill, Vyavastha- The System and Zindagi Abhi Baaki Hai.
-Jyothi Venkatesh/ Sampurn Wire
