'Making Dil maange more was pure mathematics in cinema'

Article Updated 31 December, 2004 02:40:06 PM IST

'Making Dil maange more was pure mathematics in cinema'

How did the Dil Mange more originate?
See, the idea germinated in my mind when I actually wanted to mix a romantic comedy with a boy and three girls. See, in Hindi films it’s always who gets the girl but I wanted to do a reversal as to who gets the boy. I dint want to pick up any story that was done. I wanted to do something original so it was virtually trying to do a very scientific deduction and very mathematical calculations and combinations of how a boy can be shuffled around with three girls without making it look like a triangle drama or anything, which it is not at all. So, that concoction became Dil Mange More and that is how the idea got made and then we developed it, got it into a screenplay form. It was my story and then ofcourse my cameraman of Dil Vil Pyaar Vyar K. Rajkumar informed me that Nikhil Panchamiya had turned an individual producer now and is looking for the right script to start his film. He had already heard around 60 scripts and I knew that this man must have been expecting a script of very high standards. I gave him a complete narration and he said yes there is an idea here and there is a possibility of this being made into a film. I had already spoken to Shahid Kapoor before as I thought that this fitted his persona very well. I needed a young boy who suddenly discovers that love has three colours and he fitted the bill.

But you were to make the film with Farida Jalal and Tusshar Kapoor?
Yes. That time it was Tusshar and that time Shahid was nowhere in the scene and that time Tusshar was the young boy on the block. My script needed a boy of around 20. But then unfortunately I don’t know what happened with Tusshar and Metalite, as they wanted to change the cast. Shahid was shooting for Ishk Vishk and they were not sure. Films were not doing well that time and so lot of morale was lost and I could not wait. My story was asking to be made and it had something refreshing and so it happened. This was the film, which had potential, and at the same time it was not the beaten track and the routine story. This is the film, which people are expecting with the youth as the target audience. And when Nitin Manmohan approved the script there was no looking back. We went to Nainital and Dehradun and trashed the script and refined it in to a script, which can seldom fail.

How difficult was it to get the three girls on board?
That was the toughest part as every girl in the town wanted to do films which revolve only around her and not share the limelight with anyone else. I was very clear that I have to balance all the three girls properly as I can’t let the balance tilt towards any one girl as the audience will immediately guess. All the gradations had to be same and they needed to have an equal standing. Soha was doing a Bengali film, Aayesha was doing Tarzan and Tulip had already done a couple of films. So, they were young and they gave that young, refreshing feel and that’s how we actually went ahead. Then the script took a long time, as it had to be perfect. This script was in my mind from a long time and it could have so easily been my first film had Dil Vil Pyaar Vyar not been so ready to be started. It is a very tricky screenplay and very clever screenplay. It was pure mathematics in cinema and everything worked out very well.

How did you convince Soha Ali Khan?
Again I think the script was the trump card. We went at her house and narrated the film to her and she was reacting exactly the place where I wanted. I told her that this is three-heroine subject and if she wants to have this film as her debut vehicle. I can understand the other girls doing it as they have done films and normally a girl is launched as a solo heroine. I must compliment her thinking and she just said hey it’s a fun film and I want to it whatever role you offer irrelevant of the fact that I get the boy or don’t get the boy.

What about the music of the film? It is believed that you are very happy with the music of the film?
I love the music part. I get so charged in music setting that I love it more than writing part. I get very excited with the process of creating music. I have an ear for music and I love music. I told Himesh that I want 6 out of 6; I don’t want two good numbers and 4 average numbers. I am a greedy guy and it’s very rare. We did a complete narration to him, every single thing and we rejected more than we selected. In the end, Himesh’s father came and said Anant you have taken all the best tunes of my son. And we have a great mix of a disco and a rock and roll and a lovely melodic romantic song. I am very happy about the music.

Your last film did not do too well so how important is this film for you?
I don’t know why people say this. Metalite has recovered its money completely infact 2.5 crores came from the music only. HMV tells me that its no longer a label for them, it’s a brand Dil Vil Pyaar Vyar. See, it ran for good 10-12 weeks and I also remember seeing the 100 days add in the paper. The only place where I think we failed was the finishing line. Metalite, with all due respect, the distribution network failed miserably. You won’t believe that Dil Vil has not been released in so many single screen cinemas so far. They did not do second string release of the film at all. They didn’t do what to do with the film at all. In fact Balkrishna Shroff of Shringar Films told me that Anant I would have made a fortune out of this film. I was also very overwhelmed with the reviews and the press was very kind to me. In fact all the reviews had given me 3 and 3 and a ½ star, which was great. But then no regrets, I have got a lot from the film. Coming to the second part of your question, Dil Mange More is not an experimental film like Dil Vil… many people told me that this should have been my first film. There are so many sensibilities and this is in the popular genre and I am getting some great reactions from the promos. Then it is a fast paced film, just 2 hours and ten minutes. It’s like a joy ride and it is humorous. It’s very important for me. The film can really do the trick for me. I just want to make more and more films and if this runs it will make me do all the more films that I want to do.

Lastly, what’s next for you?
I have signed a film with Shyam Bajaj, it’s tentatively titled ‘Aksar’ and the casting is being worked out as yet. The plot has been written by Sujit Sen. Its a mind game between three people and I am also working on another comedy for Shweta Pagare.

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