Kapoor’s ultimate test of love in ‘Kedarnath’
The film-maker, who does not like to repeat himself, is launching a new talent
ABHISHEK Kapoor, who is gearing up for his next directorial effort, Kedarnath, says his aim is not to repeat himself with similar films on the big screen.
When asked about how he inspires himself with each new project, Kapoor said: “As a film-maker, my attempt is not to repeat a film. There is a trend out there (in the industry) that if there is a hit film, then people start making similar kinds of films.
“For instance, if you make a good action film, you repeat that.
“I work in the opposite way. I would be happy if there were no trace of me in (my new) film. The joy of making a movie is the humility of not knowing anything about that world. After Rock On!!, I did Kai Po Che! Everything was different.”
Written, directed and co-produced by Kapoor, Kedarnath tells the story of a Hindu girl who takes a pilgrimage to the historic Kedarnath Temple in the Uttarakhand mountains, where she meets and falls in love with a Muslim boy, who is her guide.
As they grow closer along the journey, they face many obstacles, including familial disapproval and contrasting backgrounds. When the sudden rains that led to the 2013 Uttarakhand floods devastate the region, the couple must survive against the elements and face the ultimate test of their love.
Releasing tomorrow, the film launches Sara Ali Khan, the daughter of actor Saif Ali Khan and his former wife Amrita Singh. She has been paired with actor Sushant Singh Rajput.
Kapoor, whose last directorial was Fitoor, starring Tabu, Katrina Kaif and Aditya Roy Kapur, hopes Kedarnath will be a success: “I have seen too many failures in my life. People started recognising me and my work since I became a director, but I used to be an actor before and I have seen way too many failures and disappointments there also.
“After a point, you get pretty hardened about it because you know how it is to live with failures. The thing is to break barriers,” Kapoor adds.
Talking about Fitoor, he says it was disappointing to see its fate, because so much hard work was put into it, “but you do some introspection and you come to terms that there were certain things you shouldn’t have done, as these are things that went wrong. The film got such a backlash. You don’t make films to p*** people off... you try to come back with a better movie.”
He says that in the case of Fitoor, the idea and the budget didn’t go down well: “That story shouldn’t have been made in that budget. I think I indulged a bit,” said the filmmaker, adding that Kedarnath is neither very cheap, nor outrageously expensive.
With Kedarnath, Sara makes her debut. It’s not the first time Kapoor has launched an actor – he did so with Farhan Akhtar in Rock On!! and with Sushant in Kai Po Che!
“Sometimes the characters that I have in my film are very young ....
“The movie that I make demands a certain kind of courage, dedication and absolute submission, which I find new actors can give, provided they have talent,” Kapoor said. |