Kay Kay Menon in a q & a with Hiren Kotwani.
What attracted you to Mumbai Meri Jaan which is based on the July 11 local train blasts of 2006.
The importance of the subject.. and my character. I playing a middle class out-of-work guy. The character is purely fictional. My director (Nishikant Kamat) had done enough research before scripting and he gave me the inputs on how to go about playing this character.
Where were you when the blasts took place?
I had just reached home, when I got an sms informing me about the tragedies. Then I switched on the television.. the news caused a certain numbness.. you’re shocked beyond belief by all that’s happening.
Much has been said about the resilient spirit of Mumbai. What does the film say?
About the city, I personally feel Mumbai Meri Jaan has a very strong and real perspective. Different films portray the spirit of the city in diverse ways.
Mani Ratnam’s Bombay portrayed the city in one such way.
One can’t let anything negative keep one down for long.
Do you think the film will connect with audiences outside Bombay?
Why not? The blasts happened in the local trains but the consequences were experienced universally. The pain, the suffering, the victims and their families went through, I’m sure we all relate to it.
It’s episodic in narration, and you’ve done a few such films before, like Honeymoon Travels Pvt Ltd and Life in a Metro.
Certain films require an episodic narration. In the case of Mumbai Meri Jaan, the episodes are all connected to the blasts.
It’s episodic in narration, and you’ve done a few such films before, like Honeymoon Travels Pvt Ltd and Life in a Metro.
Certain films require an episodic narration. In the case of Mumbai Meri Jaan, the episodes are all connected to the blasts.
Next week sees you doing comedy in Maan Gaye Mughal-e-Azam. Does juggling different genres come easy to you?
About the back-to-back releases, that wasn’t my plan. It’s the producer’s call. As for the genre, it doesn’t matter. As long as I’m acting, I’m comfortable.
Highway 203, directed by Shahbaz Khan and co-starring Perizad Zorabian, seems to have vanished into thin air.
I have no clue about what happened to it.
Your wife Nivedita is also an actress.Does she criticise your performance or choice of films?
She’s very analytical and points out the areas where she felt I could have been better. We don’t argue about her criticism, I take it constructively.