ETimes caught up with Anil Sharma at his Juhu office to discuss not just ‘Gadar 2’ but also Zeenat Aman, Salman Khan, Akshay Kumar, Govinda, Priyanka Chopra, and yes, of course, Sunny Deol, Ameesha Pateland his son Utkarsh who has a major role as Sunny and Ameesha’s son in ‘Gadar 2’.Watch this INTERVIEW in the VIDEO below:
‘Gadar 2’ Maker Anil Sharma Makes REVELATIONS On Sunny, Ameesha, Zeenat Aman, Salman, Priyanka
Excerpts from the conversation that transpired:
It’s been 22 years since ‘Gadar’. You took really long to make the second part, didn’t you?
Yes, but that’s because I just didn’t want to use the brand name of ‘Gadar’ and ride on it. I wanted a real story of Tara Singh and Sakina that goes ahead. I must have heard about 50 stories and they didn’t ring a bell, until one day Shaktimaan came home and asked me to come aside for 10 minutes, saying that he has a story for ‘Gadar 2’. He had a smile on his face and I could sense that he had cracked it. Shaktimaan is a man who knows when he is sure and when he is not- and having worked with him for so many years now, I knew that a justified cracker of a story was ready.
The very next thing I did was to tell it to my wife, Sunny Deol and Zee Studios. They all liked it.
Correct me if I am wrong but your grandfather was a noted astrologer…
(Interrupts) My father too.
Did either or both predict that ‘Gadar’ will become your middle name?
(Smiles) Well, they all said, khoob naam banayega aur videsh jayega. I was about 10-12 years old then.
Hypothetical question alright, but if you had a cracker of a story but suppose Sunny hadn’t liked it. And say if Ameesha had said ‘no’. Would you have then gone ahead with ‘Gadar 2’?
No. I was clear that ‘Gadar 2’ would be the Part 2 of Tara Singh (Sunny) and Sakina’s (Ameesha) life. I wouldn’t have made it without either of them.
How did your son Utkarsh fit into ‘Gadar 2’?
Utkarsh had played their son when he was small. Luckily, coincidentally, he is at the right age where he fits into ‘Gadar 2’ like a glove. Kamaal ho gaya hai. It seems scripted from heaven. If I had made ‘Gadar 2’ 10 years ago, surely he couldn’t have been in the second part.
In fact, his entry into the first part was largely because of Ameesha Patel and Amrish Puri. Ameesha convinced my wife, and when I told Amrish Puri that people would say that I have cast my own son, he dismissed that off, saying he is a very cute child. We didn’t have anybody cuter than him around us in our inner circle. He had a very pleasing disposition like Krishna ji.
Were you disappointed and tensed when Utkarsh’s debut film ‘Genius’ didn’t click?
‘Genius’ was released at a wrong time; it got sandwiched between ‘Satymev Jayate’, ‘Stree’ and ‘Yamla Pagla Deewana 2’. But my son Utkarsh was praised and received quite a few offers after ‘Genius’. But we asked him to turn them down because I wanted him to get a good platform for his second film. Yes, Utkarsh might have earned some money with a few small films and got busy if we hadn’t asked him to stay put until ‘Gadar 2’. But I didn’t want his career to go wrong.
Did Utkarsh polish his acting and dance in the interim?
Usse jyaada sansar mein koi aur busy nahi hai. He got involved in the ‘Gadar 2’.
There will be comparisons…
Emotions, dialogues and songs will hold ‘Gadar 2’.
You changed the music director from Uttam Singh (‘Gadar) to Mithoon (‘Gadar 2’)…
Uttam Singh is a highly talented musician and it’s not that he wouldn’t have given me great music. It’s just that I needed a change to go with times. Two of the songs from ‘Gadar’ are in ‘Gadar 2’ untampered, barring improving their sound quality. Four new songs have come in, Arijit has lent his voice and they have all come out beautifully.
Did you inform Uttam Singh that you are changing the music director?
Of course.
Was he hurt?
Not at all. He understood why I brought in Mithoon. After ‘Gadar’ too, I made films and worked with other music directors. If you don’t work with the previous music director, it does not necessarily mean anything.
Your ‘Gadar 2’ will clash with ‘Animal’…
I love Ranbir Kapoor who stars in ‘Animal’, he is a fine actor. I love Sandeep Reddy Vanga (director of ‘Animal’) as a director. I wish them all the best. ‘Animal’ is a big one. But, there is no problem if two films release on the same day. Dono chalengi, industry garam hogi.
Industry thandi kyun ho gayi hai?
The need of the hour is to make films that connect with full India. Films which are being made connect from Bandra to Versova. South films have greater connectivity. Look at the plexes in Mumbai, there are barely four people inside it. Think what Shakti Samanta, Raj Kapoor, Manmohan Desai, Raj Khosla, Dev Anand, Hrishikesh Mukherjee did- poora desh chala jaata tha irrespective of the actor in it.
Today, stardom has been reduced to Instagram. People are exposing themselves on social media. Why? Hero ka jo tevar hota hai, woh kahan hai? Why are you on Insta every day? Agar tum hero ho toh bhai tum aam aadmi nahi ho, tum lakhon mein ek ho (Don’t over-expose yourself on Instagram).
Let me tell you Raaj Kumar once told me that he wants to catch a 2:30 am flight and not a day/evening one, simply because he doesn’t want the public to see him at the airport.
Let’s talk about Amitabh Bachchan…
Bahut hi sanjeeda actor hai. He is a complete writer and director’s actor. Even if he wants to change one word in a dialogue, he takes the consent of the maker.
Dharmendra…
Bahut dil se kaam karte hain. Unka ek andaz hai, woh writer ke tareeke se nahi bolenge. Lines wahi hongi lekin thoda change unke andaz mein.
Zeenat Aman…
She asked me a lot of questions in ‘Bandhan Kache Dhagon Ka’. She was very keen to learn.
Salman Khan…
That man is totally immersed in his work. He thinks nothing but movies. He will call me at 1 am if some thought regarding a scene or a song comes to his mind. He is constantly adding to the product. Log kehte hain drink karta hai, unke yahan mehfilein lagti hai, ye sab bekaar ki baatein hain. What’s wrong if a man has a drink or two in the evening to cool himself? Also, it’s wrong to believe that he is arrogant. It’s just that he is in his own world.
Akshay Kumar…
You need to work by the clock with him. He comes by 9 am and leaves by 6 pm or 7 pm. He is a very committed actor.
Govinda….
Unka timing ka issue hai, lekin when we firmly decided to shoot in the morning, he did report on time. And if and when he comes late, he gives inputs sooner or later that compensate for the lost time, so much so that you end up saving a few days at the end of the schedule.
Priyanka Chopra…
If she was required for 8/10 days and had to be on set for 2 months, she never complained. Unko seat mile na mile, unko khaana mile na mile. Her focus is to be seen, to be believed. She wants to grow, but in the right way. She never ruffled feathers and went ahead. She did her first film ‘The Hero’ with me. Yes, she has said a few statements in recent times but woh har actor ki zindagi mein ek time aata hai, jab woh kuch baatein bolta hai.
Parting shot?
Those who will see ‘Gadar 2’ will clap not 20 but 30 to 40 times.
