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EXCLUSIVE: Bharat director Ali Abbas Zafar says, 'Cannot write love scenes between Salman Khan & Katrina Kaif'
Bharat director Ali Abbas Zafar opens up on dealing with the pressure of working with Salman Khan, the change in commercial cinema, writing love scenes between Katrina and Salman and Bharat trailer memes. Read the EXCLUSIVE interview.
Bharat duo Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif have worked together in many films and twice together with Ali Abbas Zafar. The director is known to bring out the best of the duo and Tiger Zinda Hai is a testimony to it. With Bharat now a month away from its release, we spoke to Ali in what can be called a candid chat wherein he spills the beans on how the pressure of delivering what is expected from him is much more than handling Salman and why he cannot write love scenes between Salman and Katrina.
Salman and Katrina are made for each other pair:
"I realised that I cannot write love scenes between the two (Salman and Katrina) of them because even when Salman sees Katrina for the first time in the film, you automatically feel that they are made for each other. So, the task is to keep it very real and subtle. To make it as normal as possible. They both are really good looking stars and I was coming straight from Tiger where they play husband and wife and then to bring them back and write the scene where they meet for the first time in Bharat and fall in love is a process but somewhere because of the story it comes out as very natural and sweet," he smiled.
Response to Bharat trailer:
Bharat's trailer received a tremendous positive response. To this, the director added, "I am happy that the story we wanted to show the audience, they have reacted very positively to it. As we have seen in the last 4-5 years, it is the content-driven films which the audience want. I keep saying this again and again, but I think the face of commercial cinema in India is changing drastically. So even if you are making a masala potboiler, there needs to be a certain substance to it. Even the recent Salman Khan films which did big business, there was a strong content that was driving those films. I think Bharat is a beautiful story and the way the audience has reacted to the trailer is fabulous and has left people intrigued."
Memes:
"I think we were expecting that. Also, today, when your content gets popular, it automatically turns into memes. It is not only the films, but it is also with politics, sports and everything else. But that's a good thing that people are using your content and creating something which is hilarious and funny. There is nothing wrong if it is making people laugh and smile.
On why the movie will work:
I think everyone’s contribution to the movie is phenomenal and now that the movie is in its final stage of post-production, a lot of people who have seen the movie. In fact, even Salman has seen the movie, Katrina has and Salim Sir has, and their reaction is that it works because all the characters are put together effortlessly in the journey and we are all very happy with the way it has turned out. Also, because it is very technical, the VFX, CC, soundtrack, that is where the craft of the film lies and I am just very happy that every character’s arc has come out really nicely.
The pressure he faces:
There is always pressure but I just feel that today if you have a good story and you make a good film, it will irrespectively work. Obviously, if it has Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif, a bigger star cast, it is a bigger canvas, it works more and that is slightly empowering for any filmmaker but we first need to make a good film. If it is a good film then it will work for everybody, irrespective of who is the actor. The quality of cinema in the country has improved tremendously in the last five years. We cannot take our audience for granted anymore. What we promise is what we need to deliver and that is a cause of pressure more than handling Salman on sets.
Bharat releases on June 5, 2019.
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