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Pakistani singer-turned-Bollywood-actor, Ali Zafar is sure moving fast up the ladder of show business! With his latest film, “Mere Brother ki Dulhan” releasing today it looks like a sure romantic comedy favorite with co-stars like Imran Khan and Katrina Kaif. Check out what Zafar had to say about shooting the movie, his character, his co-stars and some behind the scenes secrets!
Tell us about your character in Mere Brother Ki Dulhan.
The character that I’m playing is Luv. Luv is Kush’s brother and they have a very interesting relationship with each other. They are kind of candid with each other, but there also is a little bit of a formal equation between the two. Luv is a little loud, a little flamboyant, with the history of not having had many good relationships with his ex’s. Luv – jiska character main play kar raha hoon, ek bahut hi maze ka, interestingly maze ka, ajeeb sa, ajeebo-garib sa… playful bhi hai, thoda confused bhi hai, ekdum se focus bhi ho jata hai ki use kya chahiye zindagi mein.
Tell us about your experience on Mere Brother Ki Dulhan!
Mere nazdik, sabse zyada jo cheez matter karti hai woh hain log, jo us log se jude hue hote haih, us project se jude hue hote hain. Tere Bin Laden se bhi jo jude hue log the, woh bahut achhe log thhe aur abhi tak unke saath uthna baithna aur ek dosti, ek talluq aisa hai, ek rishta aisa ban gaya hai ke jab bhi main aata hoon, I make it a point that I do spend some time with them. Yahan par bhi jo log isse jude hue the, woh achhe log hain saare, toh isliye kaam karne ka mazaa bhi aata hai… dil se insaan ek adaakar ka kaam karta hai. Toh bajaay iske ki main doosri sateh cheezon ko tolun, main insaanon ki sateh par tolta hoon toh I think, haan yeh zaroor hai ki ek bada setup jo hota hai, jaise ki Yash Raj Films… yahan par sab cheez in-house available hai – when you walk into the office editing suite, dubbing suite, recording studio and all, so its the ambience that is great, the place is great. The first time I entered here, it had a certain calm and peace to it. And so goes for all the people working here… so ya, it obviously helps.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDAoQH1DbeQ&feature=relmfu
How was your experience shooting with co-star Katrina Kaif?
Main, Katrina ke baare mein kya zikar karun, unko toh sabhi log itna pyaar karte hain, pasand karte hain, aur unmein aisi qualities hain jiski wajah se itna pasand karte hain unhein. Mujhe jo cheezein, yachuke, hum log jab kaam saath mein karte hain to aapko kuch zyada tafseel mein kisi ko jaanne ka mauka milta hai especially when you travelling with someone. What I really like about her is that she is very very hard working and professional, very sorted when it comes to her work… Aur bahut intelligent hai actually… so yeh cheez mujhe bahut bhaayi unki, aur I think this film is very important film for her and it will also show on the screen. In all honesty, I do think… I do think that its her film, in a way, the way her character and the way she is portrayed it, its fantastic… aur unki bahut si yaadein hain unke saath kaam karne ki jo hamesha rahengi and a great person to work with. A very… haste khelte achhe mood me tons of mazaak karte hue waqt guzra.
How about your experience while shooting with co-star Imran Khan?
I think ki main bahut khush kismat hoon ki Imran jaise ek artist ke saath mujhe kaam karne ka mauka mila because itna comfortable or convenient tha unke saath kaam karna… ab I don’t know maine zyada logo ke saath kaam to nahin kiya huya lekin bohut hi, humble or bahut hi aasan tha unke saath kaam karma – he doesn’t make things difficult, he makes things easier and a lot of fun to work with so I feel very lucky that I got to work with Imran. We worked as friends, as brothers and had a great time. He had a lot of interesting facts to share because Imran is all about lot of facts so obviously lot of interesting conversations and we also shared lots of iPhone apps.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rddcYHRvgI&NR=1
Lets talk about some interesting moments from the film.
Haan ek scene hai jahaan par Luv jo hai aakhir mein apna line change karta hai… woh jo scene hai woh for some reason because jabhi bhi koi scene hone lagta tha toh aapko pehle shaayad pata hota hai ki ab yeh scene hone wala hai toh aap peechhe van me baithe woh taiyyar kar lete hain, yaad kar lete hain, par for some reason mujhe nahin pata tha ki yeh scene ab hone wala hai or woh jo scene tha woh actually kuch chaar saafon (pages) ka hai toh ekdum se mann me hamaare jo hai kuch hua… hamaare AD woh aaye or kaha ke ab yeh scene karenge dus minute mein toh maine kaha achha… phir maine scene dekha, maine kaha okay… toh foran fir woh kisi tarah 10 minute ke andar chhatt pe chalte chalte yaad kiya or woh scene bhi ek go mein karna tha, toh luckily woh ho gaya toh woh ek interesting scene hai. Ek aur interesting cheez thee uske alawaa mere khayal mein jab hum rickshaw mein shoot kar rahe the Katrina ke saath scene tha… toh woh sadak ke upar chalte huye karna tha, aur I think woh mera shayyad pehla scene… pehla scene tha shaayad uske saath toh peeche traffic-waffic pipa-pupa koi lavz bola toh phir paa or kuch aur bola toh pii, toh baar-baar karna aur sadak pe jaana log ekkathe ho jaana or Katrina jaise aapko pata hi hai itni badi superstar hai, jahaan woh jaati hai log mandlate rehte hai… toh woh ek mushkil scene tha karne ke liye… baaki ab main koi actor-vactor toh hoon nahin toh mere liye toh mushkil hi tha sab karna.
Can you tell us about the songs, dancing and music in the movie?
Bhai film ka music jo hai, music ek bahut important cheez hoti hai or agar mere khayal mein director ko music sense nahin ho to phir use koi ghadi laga leni chahiye, ya rickshaw chala leni chahiye. Ali mein fortunately music sense thi, hai aur rahegi, aur main umeed karta hoon ke woh rahegi marte dum tak… toh jo music director hai, woh bahut kamaal ka ek youngster hai aur Madhubala jo gaana hai specifically mujhe yaad hai jab Ali ne mujhe Email se mp3 bheji, toh maine kaha – Oh, mazaa aa gaya bhai. Toh Madhubala phir hamne record kiya aur usmein Ali ke kuch khwaisat… main aapko ek cheez batana chahta hoon ki film ke har ek character mein aapko Ali zaroor nazar aayenge, even Dimple mein bhi nazar aayenge… toh kuch khaayisat thi Ali ki gaane mein jo ki poori ki gayi jis tarah woh dialogue hai ki arrey thak gaye kya? Toh usme bahut mazaa aaya. Phir Ali bhi Kishore Kumar ke bahot bade fan hain aur main bhi hoon toh hamne phir woh ‘Meri Pyaari Bindu…’ ko leke thoda end me phir woh ek cheez ki. Phir ek gaana hai Isq-Risk… usko bhi bada maza aaya karne mein. Toh I think yeh jo film ka music hai woh iski bahut badi strength hai, or Sohail Sen ne bahut ek… ek aisa music kartab diya hai jisko aap sirf commercial music nahin keh sakte, balki tastefully done commercial music hai aur har tarah ke different genres hai, jis tarah Katrina ka rock song hai, guitar rif hai, woh mujhe bahut pasand hai… I wish ki main Katrina hota us waqt lekin main nahin tha. I think yeh music ka jo spectrum hai woh bahut maze ka hai.
What was it like working with senior actors in the movie.
Kanwaljeetji jo hain unke saath mera ek bahut shaayrana sa talluq tha, kyunki hum urdu shaayri ke aur woh bhi bahut shukeen the, aur main bhi hoon… toh hum woh jo kallam hai discuss karte rehte the, bahut hi nafis or achhe aadmi hain aur bahut hi mazaa aata tha woh ek example hain ki is age mein ek insaan mein itni josh.. kaise ho sakta hai jab bhi woh aapse haath milate hain toh aapko pehle dumbles aur exercise karke aana hota hai, nahin toh milaayenge toh aap ludakte huye chale jaayenge aur unmein woh jazba hai.
What are your expectations from your fans in Pakistan?
People are really looking forward to it in Pakistan… I rememeber there was a talk of having premier in Pakistan Karachi and people are so looking forward to premier in Karachi… I think getting to see Katrina live in skin… flesh and blood in Pakistan in premier and Imran Khan so i think it will be a bog step actually. if it goes well aur agar yeh log waha aate hai premier ke liye to i ts I think its most talked about film of the year.
Why don’t you tell us more about your dance in the shooting of the song “Madhubala!”
Mere saath ek dilemma yeh hai ki I want to be perfect but im far far far away from perfect so in order to bring that gap closer in I then keep on it…keep on it keep on it keep working on it ki bhai kisi tarah yaha tak to le aayu ki woh achha lage… so I because routine me mein gaana gata hu, routine me dance nahi karta to getting into the habbit of dancing and all that and kyunki steps wagere itne easy nahi the, they weren’t a piece of cake specially not for me to isliye jara unko karne me tayyar karne me mein koshish yeh karta tha ki finally jab mein Ali ke saamne jaau director ke saamne shot ke liye to meri wajah se retakes na ho to isislye fir mein baar-baar apne dimaag mein apne taur se karta rehta tha.
Tell us about your character – how different are you in real life?
The character is nothing like me in real life actually and that’s why I enjoyed doing it because agar woh aise hi hota jaise me hu to shayad itna maza nahi aata… thoda yeh over the top hai, mein thoda under the top hu toh maza isko karne me isliye aaya kyunki line iski kuch achhi maze ki likhi hui thi. Ali ne likhi hui thi to thoda loud tha margin tha room tha body language ka or pitch upar niche karne ka or humourous tha to do lot of things so that’s where i tried to do with it aur ek jagah pe balki maine Ali se poocha ke yaar yeh over acting nahi ho rahi hai jaha pe woh video chat ho rahi hai or woh usse kuch usse woh end pe baat karti hai I dont know underwear-shunderwear is tarah ka kuch.. but Ali said nahi this is the character so I guess the director knows his charachter the best. We as the actors need to deliver as the director is looking for so that’s what I have tried to do so let’s see how happy Ali is.
Lastly, tell fans why should one go and see Mere Brother ki Dulhan?
Theater me jaayenge, line lagi hogi bahot lambi, film ke baaher seat nahi milegi, 5-6 roz baad seat milegi, baithenge log sitiya-vitiya maarenge or aapko hasna padega bahot zyada, enjoy karke wapis aajaayenge, kya maza aayega or fir dosto ko bataaenge yaar film dekhne zaroor jana (Laughs)
[Credit: Yash Raj Studios]
Don’t forget to catch “Mere Brother ki Dulhan” releasing September 9!
