I’d love to watch Partner: Andy Tennant

Hitch director Andy Tennant, who will host a master class at MFF, reacts to learning that his film ‘inspired’ the Salman Khan-starrer

Before Andy Tennant became a director, he was one of the 10 people picked to dance in the iconic John Travolta film, Grease (1978). “There was a huge audition in Los Angeles and New York. I wasn’t the best dancer, but I got lucky,” says Tennant. “I was walking around the stage with John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John, and even then I was more interested in what the crew was doing.”

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His first assignment as a director was on a TV series most Indian audiences will recall. “My first job was to direct The Wonder Years. And I remember I was so nervous, everyone just stared at me and then an assistant director came to me and told me, ‘Say action’,” he says.

After two episodes of that, his career began rolling out and led him all the way to the red carpet with successful potboilers like Ever After: A Cinderella Story (1998), Anna And The King (1999) and the Will Smith-starrer, Hitch (2005).

However, his present trip to India seems to have been an enlightening one so far, beginning with the news that his film, Hitch, ‘inspired’ the Salman Khan-starrer, Partner (2007).

On Thursday, Tennant will host a master class session in direction at the ongoing Mumbai Film Festival. “It’s not going to be a technical class. What might be interesting for people is the emotional journey of a director. I always felt great comfort when I heard directors, who I admire, tell me that they didn’t have all the answers and they did make mistakes. I think that gives new filmmakers hope. It’s a trial-and-error process,” says Tennant.

The master class in direction will be conducted by Andy Tennant at NCPA’s Experimental Theatre between 2 pm to 4 pm on Thursday.