Born to entertain

New-age director

He is the latest product from the school of Karan Johar and his banner after Nikhil Advani, Soham, Tarun Mansukhani, Ayan Mukerji and Rensil D’Silva. But he did have filmmaking in his system too. His uncle, Manish Malhotra, is Hindi cinema’s A-list dress designer and his father’s been a part of showbiz too. And that makes Punit Malhotra a natural denizen of the world of Hindi cinema. In a tizzy with last-minute hassles because his debut film I Hate Luv Storys is set to release on July 2, Punit takes time off for a quick telephonic chat, apologising profusely because it took us four calls to nail him down. Excerpts from an interview with the director:

Did you always want to make films?

Yes, I was one of those guys about whom people just said, “Yeh to padhega hi nahin. He will just be in films.” But I did finish my education! And then of course, my uncle took me to Karan Johar and I began to assist him on Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham. That was a road to enter the film industry and while I did not take any courses in filmmaking and do not wish to demean those who do, I learnt everything practical from that experience. I also worked on Kal Ho Naa Ho, Paheli, which was Shah Rukh Khan’s home production, graduated to Chief Assistant Director in Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna and was a technician in Dostana, in which I was a creative director on post-production too.

These films were different from each other and also faced varied box-office fates. What did you learn from them?

I learnt that the key aspect was keeping the audience entertained for two or three hours. The audience is least interested in what you are going through or what efforts you made over any aspect of the film. At the editing table, you have to be ruthless because what ultimately matters to the viewer is the time he or she spends watching your film. The end result is vital.

What is the most important advice Karan gave you?

He said that the common man is not interested in a particular shot or what detailing and thought went into it. Technique, he told me, is nothing if it is not supported by a good script.

Your film stars Imran Khan and Sonam Kapoor. Why them?

When you watch the film, you’ll know why. Imran Khan is just perfect for this role, he has the right body language. You can believe he is the hero of my story, but he isn’t the classic film hero. He is the cool guy, the normal kid. And Sonam was Manish Uncle’s suggestion. I was in for a shock when I met her because I realised how tailor-made she was for her character. Her girl-next-door quality mingled with her X-factor bowled me over.

You have quite the supporting cast too.

My film has an ensemble cast, with Sammir Dattani, Samir Soni, Aamir Ali and Pooja Ghai among others. Everyone’s true to their character.

So your idea was always to make a mainstream entertainer.

It was from day one! If you go to watch my film expecting it to be preachy or novel, you will be a bit disappointed. But you will enjoy the story and come out with a smile on your face, that much I can guarantee. My film is a romantic comedy that laughs at another romantic comedy. I had decided that my first film would be a love story and my second, an action film. I don’t believe in niche films. The audience wants to first get entertained. The more you entertain, the more you will win over the audience. I watch all kinds of films, but these are the kind of films I’d like to make.

Being an experienced hand in the industry, what role did your uncle play in the film?

Without him, I wouldn’t have been here. He’s the man who took me to Karan. He’s the guy who always encouraged me, and to whom I narrated my story. He’s the one who told me that I’d be a fool if I did not make this film. Manish uncle used to be on the sets everyday and would calm me down every time I began to go mad.

And finally, who has scripted your film?

The story and screenplay have been done by a very talented boy whose name is Punit Malhotra! When I was unable to decide on someone who could write the dialogues for my film, Karan suggested that I try writing them myself, so I did!