‘I want audiences to come in knowing that it’s a long film’

Director Ashutosh Gowariker takes on the reviews of his new release, What’s Your Raashee?

Director Ashutosh Gowariker takes on the reviews of his new release, What’s Your Raashee?

Critics’ point: The film is too long and has too many songs.
Yeah, the film is a little bit long because the script was such that I had to talk about 12 ‘raashees’. I wanted to do full justice to all 12 of them and wanted a song to represent each ‘raashee’. For example, Cancerians are known to be emotional, so ‘Bikhri bikhri si zulfaen’, an emotional song, suited the ‘raashee’. So yes, if I had to do justice to the novel, the film had to be long.

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A song each for 12 ‘raashees’ is excessive.
I felt the ‘raashees’ needed songs because I was giving each girl a duration of 10-12 minutes, wherein I had to introduce the girl, set up her dramatic point and finish her sequence, and I felt that was a very short time. And a song could very beautifully enhance that. Though I felt that was the best way while scripting the film, the audience probably felt a burden because the 12 songs piled up.

The book, Kimball Ravenswood, on which the movie is based, was first made into a TV serial called ‘Mr Yogi’. The TV show had scope for 12 ‘raashees’ but a movie never had the scope.

Yes, the subject is more suited for TV because each episode is 20 minutes long and it can do full justice to the novel. But today, that serial isn’t available anywhere. So, I thought that the novel is also ideal film material because a movie has more life and is eternal. So even 30 years from now, if you ask for a DVD of What’s Your Raashee?, you’ll get it.

The justification that each girl looks similar because she is the image of a dream girl in the main character’s eyes is ‘ridiculous’.
Hmm… I wonder why people haven’t understood. (Pauses) You know, on a metaphorical level, your mind has created a picture of what your dream girl is going to look like and you tend to look for her in every girl you meet. If she doesn’t fit in, you reject her.

So even when you meet two different girls, and start liking each one, the film is trying to say that both will be slightly similar. But yes, there is a slight suspension of belief involved in it. And if you don’t accept it, the film will not work for you.

The subplots of the meandering uncle and the goons are unnecessary.
No, they aren’t unnecessary. If you do away with those, then all the girls come close to each other and the girls will change constantly. The subplots came as a breather between the two ‘raashees’.

So, you can’t really remove anything from the script. It is a film that needs the length. I want audiences to come in knowing that it’s a long film. When they know that, they will enjoy it because it’s a date movie.

Harman Baweja does not have the screen presence to match Priyanka Chopra.
(Smiles) In fact, I think that Harman was an ideal choice for the role. But it’s an opinion and I cannot debate it. Because sometimes, a director may feel there is a great performance in a film and the audience may not feel that. I cannot argue with that. Personally, I think he’s done a splendid job and (chuckles) he’s Yogesh Patel to the ‘y’.

A R Rahman’s presence in the music department is sorely missed.
It is a pity that I couldn’t have Rahman for the film, no question about it. But, I think, Sohail has created something brilliant for the film. He has successfully given each song a flavour, which is representative of the ‘raashee’. The album’s got Indian folk, western classical, jazz, etc. It’s got a wide range and, I think, it’s a
terrific album.

Your movies have always had some form of social commentary. But being a romantic comedy, this film could have avoided that.
I have always been moved by such things so social commentary has always been an important factor in my films. Why not gain some knowledge while laughing?
(Pauses) Also, if I had made a slapstick comedy, then I couldn’t have had the commentary. And since I wanted to remain faithful to the novel, which addressed issues like dowry and child marriage, I had to be honest to it.

You, as a writer and director, are more suited to make epic dramas, since you are a serious person and don’t have a flair for comedy.
Hmm. (Pauses) You know, that is the very reason I wanted to attempt a romantic comedy. I have made big, period films and historicals, so my ambition was to make the audience smile.

Thankfully, in the screenings I went to, I heard people laughing. So, at one level, because of the superb writing of Madhu Ryeji and the superb dialogue of Naushad Mehta, at least I could achieve that. The common refrain I have heard is that people found it entertaining, but long.

You are too self-indulgent and have fallen in love with your own work.
I think, ‘indulgent’ is a relative term. For me, the written content is most important. In this case, the novel was my main resource. If you take a Jodhaa Akbar, the story required the film to be of that expanse. In Lagaan, the climax was the longest because the cricket match was critical. So, I indulge myself as much as the story allows me too. The story will stagnate if I indulge more than that, and I don’t think the film stagnates.