This is my Mughal-E-Azam

Mona

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Every story comes with its destiny... while filming Paan Singh Tomar, National-award winning director Tigmanshu Dhulia wrote the story of Milan Talkies. It took about seven years to go on the floor. A love story close to his heart after plenty of dakus and maar dhaad, but the film had many a false starts to finally find a producer right in Chandigarh! As Tigmanshu made a stop-over at City Beautiful for its promotion, he couldn’t but admit he is quite nervous right before the film’s release.

Locked for years

“The release Friday is like giving class 10th exam all over again,” says the director. The story that was considered locked for years with major production houses waited to see the light of the day with Shahid Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra to play the lead roles. But whatever has to be has to be. “I narrated this script so many times to so many people that I remembered it like do ka pahada.” No wonder when it finally came to filming, it was a breeze!

Ya, Ali

While Ali Fazal plays the lead along with Shraddha Srinath, who debuts with the film, it’s Sikandar Kher who plays the negative lead. Getting glory with web series, a quick trip down to Hollwood, Ali is glad being in Bollywood where he belongs and be part of the story that revolves around a single screen theatre called Milan Talkies. Happy and chirpy, only to be fumble realising that he missed bringing his lunch, he admits, “Meri zindagi na abhi jhand huyi padi hai.”

While his co-stars Shraddha and Sikandar go salivating hearing about the gajar halwa that awaits; Ali just shakes his head. Sticking to proper diet is important for this actor, who finds a guru in Tigmanshu.  

If Milan is one, he is also pepped about being an Academy member and to have voted in Oscars. “Not to show off or anything but it was huge for me to be part of Victoria & Abdul and work with Oscar winners. And, now to see hundreds of films and vote. Splendid films must get made.”

Coming home

How Sikandar Kher became part of this project is another story. As he approached Tigmanshu for work, and was asked after a tough meeting, ‘Villain ka role karega’, he was like, ‘Heroine ka doge to vo bhi karunga,” reveals the producer PS Chhatwal. 

Sikandar is happy for a trip to Chandigarh for that translates to meet his actor-politician mother Kirron Kher. He recalls that only tip his mum gave before he took up acting as a career was that ‘the success is all right, but failure is very public in this field and if only he can deal with it he must go ahead’. But when it comes to choosing projects or how to go about it, he gets a free hand!

Stories of small towns on big screen

Credit must be given to me along with my friends like Anurag Kashyap, Imtiaz Ali, Vishal Bhardwaj and Shoojit Sircar for we brought stories of small towns along with us, which changed the tide of formula films. — Tigmanshu Dhulia

Favourite love stories

• Ek Duuje Ke Liye: Tigmanshu Dhulia
• Mughal-E-Azam: Ali Fazal
• Sangam: PS Chhatwal
• Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam: Shraddha Srinath
• Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge: Sikandar Kher

mona@tribunemail.com