'Making a film is real labour'

As a filmmaker known for unconventional storylines including Paa and Cheeni Kum, R Balki believes that films should relate to real life situations. Referring to his upcoming release Ki & Ka, he said, “This film is not inspired by anybody’s life. It is just an imaginary story but I hope things like this happen in real lives too because I believe that films should add meaning (to people’s lives). If people look at this film and say that I want to live like this, or be in love like this or I want to fight like the main characters or get a make-up similar to another character, then my job as a director is successful.”

Ahead of the film’s release on April 1, which portrays the story of a house husband (Kabir) and an earning wife (Kiya) played by Arjun Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor respectively, the 50-year-old mentioned that the film is just not a role-reversal film. “It is not so much about role-reversal. It is about identifying with the characters. Imagine a man identifying with the woman’s character and a woman identifying with the man’s. You don’t have to be a woman to identify with Kiya or a man to identify with Kabir — it is this humane aspect,” pointed out Balki.

He added, “I don’t concentrate on tackling a problem in society by making a particular film, rather I want to tell a story which is fun and entertaining. It is not a conscious decision to put a message across. But if in the process somebody gets a message, it is always welcome.”

Though the film is a romantic comedy’s, Balki says that they hardly had lighter moments during the shoot.

He told Metrolife, “However funny the scene might be, everybody is always tensed. Nobody has fun making a film. All of us only remember the shouts, nervousness, worries and tense moments. Making a film is real labour and everybody is working hard.”