06 November,2009 09:01 AM IST | | The Hitlist Team
Know more about the actor, personally and professionally
And it isn't just his professional life that's up for your perusal in the latest issue of Stardust. Mr Perfectionist has not shied away from answering even the most personal questions. Know about his equation with SRK, his brother Faisal, his ex-wife and Reena, how he met current wife Kiran and more...
Excerpts from the interview...
Being a ghost director
The media assumes that I am ghost-directing most of the time. I am not. I am very clear that I don't want to give credit for the work I do to somebody else. Am I adding value to a film? Yes, I am. Is Ashutosh a talented director who has made Lagaan? Of course, he is. Lagaan is entirely his film. I have only supported him. Creatively, I have been a good sounding board to him.
Equation with SRK
Throughout my career, I have never commented on SRK. And I have never spoken about him nor have I reacted to what he has said. And he has often commented about me, even in his interviews. The only difference I see in the equation is that for the first time I reacted.... I just felt it like so I did. That was the only change in the equation....he is used to saying things about me and expecting silence from my side.
Divorce from Reena
We were married for 16 years. She and I knew each other from the time she was 18 and I was 20. So we kind of grew up together. It was difficult not just for me but for Reena as well and both our families. And of course for the children (Junaid and Ira) too. Reena is someone who I really hold in high regard and esteem and I really value all the years I had the opportunity to share with her. I think sometimes things go wrong. They are not in our control. But I know that I can always depend on her as a person, and she knows that she can always depend on me at any time. She is a very important part of my life, and will always me.
Not working with RGV
I had a mixed reaction to working with him (in Rangeela). On a certain level, I found him very good as a director and on a certain level, I found that he was very ready to do compromises. I think circumstances change and people change...but let me put it this way it would be unlikely that I would work with him again... I am not the last actor on earth and neither is he the last director on earth. We are both doing fine without each other and there is no real stress between us.
Meeting Kiran
Kiran worked as one of the ADs on Lagaan. But at that point we were not romantically involved at all. We didn't even share a very close friendship. We actually became friends much later. It was after Reena and I went through our separation and divorce; I met with Kiran after that. We first became friends and then our relationship grew. So that was the period that I started seeing her. And eventually I felt that here is someone who I have met and really value and we share something, which we would like to turn into more permanent.
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That was when we decided to get married... I feel very lucky to have found Kiran.
On his brother Faisal
My brother and I are extremely close to each other and we share a warm and loving relationship. He works with me in my company and I am so glad because I feel that he is someone who is very strong... whatever differences and misunderstandings that may have been at one time are now cleared.
Keeping DG a secret
The reason why we kept Dhobi Ghaat such a guarded secret was that Kiran wanted to shoot in a very guerilla-style way...with a small unit of six-seven people and shoot in real locations. The moment you have someone like me in a film, it is impossible to shoot in real locations. I entered the location at 3.30 in the morning when everyone around was asleep and remained there for three weeks.
