‘I’m always nervous about my films’

He's such a stickler for punctuality that he's completely capable of reaching the site of an interview a few hours before it's even scheduled to kick-off'.

In fact, it's been said that the Indian actor once hit the venue of an event so early that only the cleaning crew was present, sweeping away, as Khan sat back and waited for everyone to show up.

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So, the wait for the actor to walk into Park Hyatt's ballroom didn't prove to be a long or tedious one - the PR handling the interview announced his arrival within a few minutes of us reaching there, cautioned us that the actor wanted the questions to focus mostly on his forthcoming production Peepli Live and in walked Khan, his unassuming smile and demeanour serving as affable first impressions.

“What always attracts me to any script is the dramatic value of the piece,” revealed Khan on what snagged his attention when first-time writer-director Anusha Rizvi approached him with Peepli Live.

“I was definitely concerned about Anusha being new to making films. So I asked her to shoot four or five scenes that I picked out from the script. When I saw them, it gave me a lot of confidence - she really can execute what she has written.”

But that didn't deter Bollywood's notorious (and probably only) perfectionist from playing a more active role in the development of this rural satire than simply signing the cheques.

“I'm a very involved producer. Actually, no matter what I do, if I'm not engaged and involved then there's no point in me being a part of it.”

Although suspected, and often accused, of ghost-directing his films, Khan let us in on exactly how much he contributed during the making of Peepli Live.

“We always rehearse our films before shooting them. That went on for three weeks, and although I was not a part of the rehearsals, I did come in on the last three or four days. If I want to contribute, that's the time I do it.

“During the shooting I just checked the daily newspapers once in a while. I stepped in as a producer when the shooting was over and Anusha had finished the first cut.”

AAMIR, THE RINGMASTER

Speaking of monitoring what the media has to say about his films, Khan has often been hailed as the 'Promotion King' of Indian cinema – remember the seven-city, 'solve the cryptic clues to find Aamir Khan' stint before the worldwide release of his last film, box office hit 3 Idiots? So where do these innovative strategies stem from?

“I always believe that the material of a film should dictate its promotion. For example, Ghajini was a very physical kind of film so that's how we kept the promotions.

“In the case of Peepli Live we want people to get a taste of the kind of material this film will offer – that's the backbone of the promotions and the promos that we've released.”

And sure enough, in a sardonic twist, the actor has conceptualised promos that take pot shots at him – if you've not already seen it, there's a trailer of the film that has a television reporter questioning Khan's sanity for producing something like Peepli Live and predicting that the actor will have to sell chips to recover his money.

Equally unique, besides the fresh, relatively unknown cast and crew of the film, is its soundtrack, which comprises tracks orchestrated by Indian Ocean, Nageen Tanveer, Brij Mandal and a background score by French composer Mathias Duplessy.

“Music is always a very important part of any film. And when I say music I don't just mean the songs, I'm also including the background score. Now, just because a composer hasn't been working actively in films doesn't mean he doesn't deserve to be there in the first place.”

Which is what inspired Anusha Rizvi and Khan to take on Indian Ocean, a group well-versed in blending folk, jazz and contemporary world music.

Recently, the actor also took to the stage for a jam session with the Indian rock band, “That was just fun. I used to play the drums a long while ago – a little bit, not much. Not many people know that. Indian Ocean got to know about that and they decided to bully me into playing on that day,” recalled Khan, the memory bringing a smile to his face.

“And it was great fun for me. When I used to play the drums earlier I always used to dream of playing on stage and of having a rock band of my own. It was a nice chance to live that dream.”

However, quiz Khan if he's apprehensive about the fate of Peepli Live and it sobers him up instantly. “I'm always nervous about all my films. But all of us are quite happy with the way the film has turned out. Anusha has managed what she set out to make rather well. We're hoping that people find the film engaging, like the humour and it makes them think.”

Folksy flavour

“There's a song called Mehngai Dayan, which was not meant to be in the film. But when Anusha was shooting in Bhadwai, the local musicians were singing many songs, one of which was this. It's about inflation so it's really the voice of the villagers outside of the film and it has found its way into the film.”

Producer with a difference

“Of course my role is to select and green light the script. After that it's to give Anusha the right sort of support in selecting her cast and crew. Anusha would do the initial groundwork. I would come in at the final decision-making stages.”

davina@khaleejtimes.com