Finally, things are on track: Sudhir Mishra (Interview)

MUMBAI - His last film “Tera Kya Hoga Johny” hasn’t yet seen the light of day and so director Sudhir Mishra says his forthcoming “Yeh Saali Zindagi” comes as a relief for him. He says he likes to repeat his cast as he seeks those who understand his style of working.

“It’s a relief that the film is releasing. It’s releasing well, Prakash Jha is behind the film, actors are good, people are liking the film, the promos are creating a good buzz, music is very good…finally it seems things are on track,” Mishra told IANS in an interview.

Asked if he was shattered by his last film not releasing when it was supposed to hit screens in 2009, he said: “My approach to life is that you have to take it on the chin. Something has to happen, it happens. You keep trying your best. You keep giving your best and even if it doesn’t work, then quit.”

The director says he often repeats his cast and crew as he seeks those who understand his style of working and whom he is comfortable with.

“I have repeated Soha (Ali Khan) twice, I have worked with Kay Kay (Menon) twice, I have worked with my cameraman three times. Some people are comfortable, understand how I work. But the part has to suit them. After ‘Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi…’, I didn’t cast Chitrangada (Singh),” Mishra said.

He chose to work with Chitrangada for the second time in “Yeh Saali Zindagi” because he was certain that only she could lend grace to his complicated story.

“She plays these real people with not so diabetic characters, women with layers, real women, with lots of grace and vulnerability. You know in ‘Hazaaron…’ she was with one man, the second man was hanging around her, she married a third and came back to the first and kept the second guy hanging, but you know never said ‘what a bitch!’. You said every guy was in love with her and every woman loved the character.

“She gives lots of grace to rather complicated stories. There is a lot of depth in her performance. Whenever I would have a part like that, I would go for her,” the filmmaker said.

But this choice stirred some unpleasant speculation about a link-up with the actress, which he says was baseless.

“I think that it’s very wrong because whenever a woman starts making it, people start ascribing some other reason to it all the time. I know her for seven years so what’s the new big thing about it. I was very irritated for her,” Mishra said.

“Yeh Saali Zindagi”, which is set to release Feb 4, is a quirky love story in the guise of a thriller. It’s an obtuse take on how far the two heroes - Irrfan Khan and Arunoday Singh - go to get the women they love and how sometimes one screw-up can set everything right.

(Dibyojyoti Baksi can be contacted at dibyojyoti.b@ians.in)