“The dialogue of Heroine gave insights into the industry”
Heroine was an important film for me. I’ve tried to infuse my 20 years of experience of the film industry into this film. I’ve succeeded in doing so, to a great extent. Though the dialogue sounds cynical, dark and at times pessimistic; they are genuine points of view. For instance, when Divya Dutta tells Mahi (Kareena Kapoor), ‘Yeh film industry hain, yahan par manipulate karo ya ho jaao’, or ‘Yahan par confidence se kaho toh jhooth ko bhi sach maan lete hain’ and of course the much-talked about press conference scene. No one has put it on silver screen before.
“Critics make a living out of analysing a film”
Heroine got both negative and positive feedback. One part of it comprised of the aam junta who gave a lukewarm response to the film. The other feedback was that from the critics. I read all the reviews, just as an exercise. And I realised critics essentially make a living out of analysing a film. They criticised Madhur Bhandarkar for being stereotypical, dark and not understanding the world he depicted. I’m not denying their criticism or justifying my stance. But critics too review every film with the same yardstick. Their reviews are stereotypical. They accuse Madhur of not knowing the world he’s exploring. But none of them seem to know anything about filmmaking either. None of these debates would have come forth if the film had made 100 crores. In the past we’ve seen critics stop blasting films because the box-office collections spoke louder.
“Most bashing for Heroine came from the industry”
Heroine has been bashed more by the people within the business, just like Fashion was by people within the fashion set up. And just the way Corporate was slammed by the business world. Whether the industry hated Heroine because the film is bad or because the lid has been blown off over uncomfortable aspects is a question I don’t have an answer to. Also, there’s a lot of media bashing in the film. So I can’t expect the media to like the film. Most people who’ve made films on the industry have always mollycoddled the subject, with an ‘Oh we belong to this business so we have to be careful’ attitude. Madhur chose to say it in a blatant way. Probably, his approach was predictable. But he said things that others didn’t.
“There’s no question over Heroine’s success”
Heroine is a successful film. It was made in 22 crores and it’s made 55 crores. It’s made money. Also, this film has a lot to do with my emotional bond with Kareena Kapoor. She placed her entire trust in me and I hand held her through the film. I believe I’ve lived up to her faith in me. Somewhere I would’ve been disappointed if she hadn’t received the kind of praise she has for the film. I have redeemed myself.
“I agree Heroine was too bleak”
In the second half, when Arjun Rampal’s character comes back into Mahi’s life, we could’ve shown how her insecurities subdued till they resurfaced later. I discussed this with Madhur but he wanted the film his way, which is absolutely fair. If I could, I would’ve added brightness to Heroine. I kept telling Madhur that the movie should not be so dark but ultimately he’s the director of the film and it’s his story.
“The dialogue of Heroine needed to be explosive”
The voice of the movie defines the dialogue and vice versa. Madhur Bhandarkar’s voice is different from that of Karan Johar’s. The dialogue in Madhur’s films needs to be volatile. He believes sensationalism, pessimism, anger, cynicism and aggression are essential. But Karan, even in the most pessimistic scene, would want positivity. That reflects his personality. As a dialogue writer I just have to translate that voice without losing the truth.
“Halkat Jawaani and Sajda define my range as a lyricist”
Some people believe that Halkat jawaani (Heroine) is trashy while Sajda (My Name Is Khan) is evolved. Others have turned around and complimented me on my range. I wrote Sajda with just as much involvement as Halkat jawaani. But Sajda flowed out of me while Halkat Jawaani needed thought. I can’t feel Halkat jawaani. But I can feel Sajda.
“I aspire to be like Gulzar saab”
It feels good when people like my work. But I need to be recognised as a seasoned writer. I need to put a lot of good work out there. When you react to Gulzar saab’s writing it’s a reaction to his cumulative work. It’s not for any one single work. You may have your favourites though. I can’t be taken in by one particular work of mine or get demoralised by criticism for some other. Call it self-flagellation but I can’t revel in praise. I’m always attracted to criticism which is valid. That’s my personality.