‘You need good films in all genres’

Actor Shahid Kapoor said that he grew up watching love stories on the big screen and believes that the genre has the potential to do well in theatres if it is done on a certain scale with good music and visuals.

The Bollywood actor’s new film ‘Teri Baaton Mein Aisa Uljha Jiya’ was released recently and it is pegged as a unique romantic comedy that revolves around the relationship between a regular guy and a humanoid. Also starring Kriti Sanon, the movie was released in theatres on February 9.

“I have loved watching love stories on the big screen and even the songs. I remember seeing ‘Shava shava’ (from ‘Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham’) for the first time on the big screen or watching ‘Aati kya khandala’ (from ‘Ghulam’) on the big screen,” Shahid told PTI in an interview here.

He added, “There is some magic, but the song has to have that value. The visual has to have that kind of feeling that makes you want to whistle and clap. So, we have tried to get all that into this film, but one genre cannot survive 365 days of the year. It can be the flavour of the season.”

In the last few months, big-budget action spectacles have done well at the box office, limiting the space for other genres, with ‘12th Fail’, ‘Zara Hatke Zara Bachke’ and ‘Dream Girl 2’ being some exceptions.

When asked about the shrinking space for intimate stories in theatres, Shahid Kapoor said that a transition seems to have happened during the Coronavirus pandemic when viewers started believing that only ‘slightly larger scale stuff’ is for the big screen.

“That is a question that every film should pose itself before choosing to go to the big screen, ‘Why should people come to watch me in the theatre?’ We have asked ourselves that question in this film,” he said.

He added, “You need a few genres, but you need good films in those genres that make people feel like it was worth coming to the theatre. If there is only vanilla available and there is no other flavour in the store, then what is the point? We will be living in a very limited reality, both as actors and as audiences.”

The 42-year-old actor said that he was surprised when he heard the story of ‘Teri Baaton Mein Aisa Uljha Jiya’, directed by first-time filmmakers Amit Joshi and Aradhana Sah because the film touches upon the relevant topic of artificial intelligence (AI) and its impact on day-to-day life.

Shahid said that the team had extensive discussions about how to execute the idea in a presentable way.

“We pushed the envelope with SIFRA, the robot and then we started pushing the envelope with AI. We are already seeing that happen digitally with the movies. I would say probably 80 percent of the movies that are doing well on the big screen have more VFX than acting,” he said.

Kapoor added, “We know that in movies, the simulation is as good as reality. Look at ‘Avatar’. Everything was simulated, but it was real. That AI is something that has entered our universe, whether it will enter something in such close proximity or a personal relationship, is what is different about this film. And that is a question that we are putting out there in an entertaining and fun way,” he added.

The actor is hopeful that ‘Teri Baaton Mein Aisa Uljha Jiya’, which he described as a ‘genre-breaking idea’, clicks with the theatre-going audience.

“We have to see whether we can convince and make people feel, because there is no point in making a film if it doesn’t make you feel something. That is why we push the love story part of it. We could have positioned it differently. We will just call it a family entertainer, but I think we have tried to achieve something a little deeper,” he said.

Produced by Dinesh Vijan’s ‘Maddock Films’, the movie also features veteran actors Dharmendra and Dimple Kapadia in pivotal roles. It is co-produced by Jyoti Deshpande and Laxman Utekar.