Mumbai: Filmmaker Deepak Tijori on Thursday said actors must learn from Hollywood veterans Robert De Niro and Al Pacino and start playing age-appropriate roles in films today.
Tijori was speaking at the trailer launch of his upcoming film "Tipppsy". Besides the film's cast, the event was attended by his mentor and veteran filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt and his "Sadak" co-star, longtime friend Pooja Bhatt.
Tijori said he is waiting to reunite with Pooja Bhatt in a film where both of them get to play their age.
"When I watch Robert De Niro doing work… Al Pacino is playing his age. Why can't we make a cinema in which we can play our age? It's high time we do that and stop dancing around with a 20-year-old around the trees. Pooja and I are also looking to do something together. Play our age. That's what we are looking for and that's what is important today," the filmmaker told reporters here.
"Tipppsy" is an upcoming thriller which is directed and produced by Tijori. Things go wrong for a group of girl friends who go to Goa, for a bachelorette party, reads the film's synopsis.
Mahesh Bhatt, who directed Tijori in 1990s films "Aashiqui", "Sadak" and "Naajayaz", said his mentee has done a "promising" job in the upcoming film.
The cinema veteran also congratulated Tijori for getting a U/A (unrestricted public exhibition subject to parental guidance for children below the age of 12) certificate from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC).
"I'm happy that you got a U/A (certificate). You should have got double A (restricted to adult audiences). But for people of yesterday like me, who belong to a mindset where we were very prudish in approach. The times have changed," he added.
Pooja Bhatt, who has been sober for almost eight years, said "Tipppsy" presents women, warts and all, which is a welcome change in cinema.
"I can stand on a stage and talk unabashedly to the world about the fact that I used to be tipsy at one point of my time and today that I'm seven and a half years sober. I'm glad we are here with these women leading this movie called 'Tipppsy' and it's not a male perspective. Women can get up there and show all facets. Not only the Sati-Savitri ones, but also the ones who fumble, fall and make mistakes, but then pick themselves up," she added.
Pooja Bhatt, also a filmmaker, said Tijori is a teetotaller and used to drop her home whenever she would be tipsy.
"What is most important is that the film is called 'Tipppsy' and ironically, Deepak, who has made this film, has never touched alcohol in his life. He is my sober friend who is high on life and morals. He is my 4 am friend," she said.
"Tipppsy" features Alankrita Sahai, Natasha Suri, Kainaath Arora, Nazia Hussain and Sonia Birje.
Tijori, who also plays a key role in the film, expressed gratitude to the cast for their cooperation.
"They have gone out of their way to play the characters they are nowhere close to in reality. I am happy to have these five girls because I was scared of how it will be. The last time I worked with heroines was with Pooja and Raveena Tandon (in 1993 murder mystery 'Pehla Nasha'). I had sworn to never work with two heroines again. They had only one scene, but I was with them for a photo shoot and it was difficult. Then I dared to work with five girls and I did not know who all would be cast. But they have been so wonderful, they are good actors too."
There were reports that Mumbai's iconic single-screen cinema Gaiety Galaxy was shutting down owing to low audience turnout, a claim its executive director Manoj Desai denied on Wednesday. According to Desai, the theatre was only closed for three days for upgrading.
Pooja Bhatt recalled watching the 1990 blockbuster "Aashiqui" at Gaiety Galaxy. Years later, she saw her 2003 directorial venture "Jism" release at the popular single-screen theatre.
"I'll never forget that memory. I had gone for the first day-first show of 'Aashiqui' and saw (lead star) Rahul Roy's life change in front of my eyes at Gaiety Galaxy. I remember ‘Jism’ releasing and there was a line around the block for that movie," she said.
Harjinder Singh, Mandeep Kaur Sandhu and Danish Bhatt also round out the cast of “Tipppsy”, slated to release in theatres on May 10.