‘Shahid has a flair for comedy’

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For a man who has directed intense films like Ghayal, Damini, Pukar and Lajja, Rajkumar Santoshi exudes a child-like innocence. He is back in the game with his upcoming directorial venture Phata Poster Nikla Hero — exactly four years after his last film Ajab Prem Ki Gazab Kahani. He seems to be confident about the product and the actor. “Shahid can totally pull off this role. It will be a pleasant surprise for the audience to see Shahid in a new avatar. It’s like what happened in Ghayal. People were thrown by what Sunny did in the film — it was action, but of a different kind. Shahid has a natural flair for comedy and you’ll see that in the film,” he says.
We prod him about his ongoing legal tussle with Firoz Nadiadwala and if it’s impacting the promotions of Phata Poster. “I regret it because there was time when we were very good friends. When we had started working on Power (which is the bone of contention today), it was with good intentions and trust in each other. Today there are these allegations because we couldn’t complete the film. Agar kar li hoti toh shaayad hamaari waah-waah ho jaati (Had we completed it, we would probably be applauded for it).”
About his upcoming film with Anil Kapoor, he tells us, “The story is based on Partition. It is relevant even today because political parties are trying to create rivalry between Hindus and Muslims. We end up blaming Pakistan for everything. Leadership could be wrong in either of the two countries. Mazhab ya mulk bura nahi hota, aadmi bura hota hai.”