'I'm obsessed with this City'

Cut Apart

The first thing that strikes one about film-maker Vishal Bhardwaj is his simplicity and his dedication towards his art, which not only involves making films but also composing music. After making critically-acclaimed films like Makdee, The Blue Umbrella and Omkara, the ace director is back with yet another interesting offering — Kaminey.

While he was in the City to promote this film of his, which stars Shahid Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra, Vishal revealed that he may make a movie in Bangalore. This is the first time Vishal has come to Bangalore and he is in love with it. “Is the weather as pleasant all the time?” he asks in disbelief. The multi-cultural diaspora of the City has completely impressed the director. “People speak all languages,” he notes. “In fact, I am obsessed with the City and I want to place a film in Bangalore.”

Just like Omkara, the music of Kaminey in addition to the film, has been getting great appreciation. How does he manage to compose music and direct a film at the same time?

“It’s during the pre-production stages that I compose and record music. Soon as the shooting for the film starts, I stop being a composer and become a director,” he smiles.

He considers Kaminey as a fun film. “It’s a riot,” he explains. How did he come up with a tune as catchy as Dhan Te Nan? “It’s the most commonly used phrase in our lives. When kids play, they say it, so I thought of using it,” he says.

Music has always been a passion for Vishal, just like films. This clearly shows in the beautiful tunes he has composed for films like Hu Tu Tu, Maachis and U Me Aur Hum. “My favourite music directors are R D Burman and Madan Mohan,” he says. In fact, not many know that Vishal was the one, who sung the title tracks for Kaminey and the Ajay Devgan and Kajol starrer U Me Aur Hum.

Isn’t he a great friend of the couple? “Yes, they are wonderful,” he praises. “I would love to work with Ajay again. He is such a talented actor and a wonderful human being,” says Vishal, who directed Ajay in Omkara.

Will we get to see Vishal work with Kajol? He is all for it. “We have never got the chance to work together but Kajol is a dream girl. She is a lovely actress and I would love to direct her.”

As a director, Vishal loves the works of Quentin Tarantino and Martin Scorsese in addition to many Polish film-makers. Currently, the director is working on a few scripts though nothing has been finalised. But one film that’s extremely close to his heart is Maachis. “I was struggling to get work when I signed up for it,” he says nostalgically.