Kamal Ghorui
Today, safe sequels and massive action franchises are a norm in Bollywood, but director Kunal Kohli is looking back at a time when Bollywood took much bigger risks. Reflecting on his 2006 masterpiece ‘Fanaa’, in a recent interview, Kohli lamented that modern filmmakers and stars are increasingly “shying away” from the kind of bold, tragic storytelling that defined the Aamir Khan and Kajol starrer.‘Fanaa’s bold theme and today’s cinemaIn a conversation with SCREEN, Kunal Kohli also spoke about the film’s unconventional storyline, “It’s just sad heroes and producers are shying away from subjects that are bold and different. Because in ‘Fanaa’, the hero isn’t a hero, he’s a villain. It’s the love story of a terrorist. And there’s no salvation. He gets shot dead by the woman he loves and the woman who loves him.” Aditya Chopra was unsure about Aamir KhanDuring the same conversation, Kunal Kohli revealed that producer Aditya Chopra had reservations, “When I wanted to go to Aamir, Adi (Aditya Chopra, producer) wasn’t very keen. He said, “Arey yaar! Wo time pass karega. Tujhe apni god mein bithaega 6 mahine ke liye, phir nahi karega. Bahut time waste hoga. Tumhe time waste karna hai, tum karo.” (Oh, so you’ve had one hit film and now you want Aamir Khan?) And things like, “Achha, tumhari ek picture hit ho gayi, tumhe Aamir Khan chahiye?” (Oh, so you’ve had one hit film and now you want Aamir Khan?) Kunal added that he remained firm on his choice and believed Aamir was the right fit for the role.Director insisted on casting Aamir KhanKunal Kohli explained his reasoning behind approaching Aamir Khan, “I said I wanted him in the first one too. And since I got Hrithik Roshan in the first one, why should I not go to Aamir Khan now?” Despite initial doubts, the filmmaker moved ahead with his decision. His persistence eventually paid off. Later Aamir Khan came on board after hearing the script.Aamir Khan loved the script from day oneKohli shared details of Aamir’s reaction to the story, “Aamir heard the story within a week. He asked me to write the script in Urdu insted of English.” He further added, “I finished the draft within a week, but went back to him after two weeks because I didn’t want him to think I wrote the dialogues within a week.” The actor also questioned whether Kohli was the right director, “He questioned a lot whether I’m the right person to direct because I hadn’t done something like that before. He asked Adi, “If you’ve got a subject like this in your company, why are you not directing it?” Adi said, “Because I don’t think anyone can do it better than Kunal,”On the other hand, Aamir Khan was last seen in the Rajinikanth starrer actioner ‘Coolie’ which garnered lukewarm reviews.
