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All eyes are on Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s much-awaited magnum opus Saawariya that will also seal the fate of the two debutants. The director spoke to the press and is all praises for Ranbir and Sonam Kapoor.

How did Saawariya originate?
After Black, I was restless. I was wondering what to do next. I had worked with Amitji, Salman, SRK. I kept asking myself what I could do to challenge myself. Then, I thought of doing a fresh, simple love story with newcomers — so that I would once again be on my toes. I wanted people who weren’t bigger than the film.

Why Ranbir and Sonam?
When he was assisting me on Black, I told Ranbir that he was an actor. But somebody told me that he came to me with a design; he wanted me to notice him. Sonam was also assisting me in Black. One day, I told her that she is actress material. She replied, ‘I am so huge and big. How can I become an actress?’ That was an interesting acceptance from a person, and it impressed me. She was 90 kg then. Both underwent vigorous training and then they were ready.

Were you impatient with the newcomers?
With Bachchan, SRK, Nana Patekar, Seema Biswas, one can’t lose his cool because they deliver at that level. Add this to Madhuri Dixit, Rani Mukerji and Salman Khan, and you’ll get the line-up of actors I have worked with. I am used to that level of excellence.

What’s different about working with newbies?
After working with Ranbir and Sonam, I feel that I have become younger. This film has been a stress-buster for me. After doing heavy duty films, I was feeling stressed. I really had to look after their everything — ribbons, ear-rings, belts; even naadas. I became their mother and father on the set. They are very well behaved kids. Yes, there were moments when they wouldn’t get it right. You haven’t faced the camera and you enter such a huge set with hundreds of lights focussing on you— trust me, it’s not easy.
Sonam broke down when you reprimanded her?
It has been blown out of proportion. Sonam is like a child to me. That part of her life which she should have spent in college, she has spent with me. I wanted her to be the best. Yes, she would cry if she was going through a certain moment where she wasn’t getting it right. But then, we weren’t in a school. We had worked for one-and-half year before we got in the thick of things — so that was school time. But when so much money is involved, you have to be quick at times and deliver.

She fled from the set and your sister Bela (Sehgal) had to intervene to get her to return?
(Laughs) Why would Sonam run away from the set when her mother was sitting just a few metres away? Sunita Kapoor was present on the set every single day. And what a wonderful lady! She never interfered. If I clapped for Sonam, she never joined in. If I corrected her, she never complained.

It’s been reported that you threw food on the ground and ordered Ranbir to lick it, during the shooting of Black?
Rot! How can I ask Prithiviraj Kapoor’s grandson to do that? I am a civilised person. I wouldn’t do that to my worst enemy. Ranbir is like my son. I want to meet this someone who is fabricating and spreading these stories.

Do you become abusive on the sets when you lose your cool?
Why would Rishi, Neetu, Anil, Sunita allow their children to be treated badly by anybody? If it was happening, they wouldn’t keep silent about it. These parents are fit enough to give their kids as big as a launch as anybody else.

Did you forbid Ranbir from occupying centrestage at Riddhima’s wedding and attending parties, etc?
When you are doing your first film, I believe that you need to focus and be there completely for your film. If an newcomer goes out and feels the adulation that can affect him and go to his head, better agar aap time pe ayenge aur apni script padenge. Discipline is true for any job. If I’ve asked someone to follow a code of conduct what’s wrong with that?

You wanted him to look lean, right?
Yeah. I didn’t want him to look muscular. I told him not to concentrate on body-building. Actors carry dumb-bells on the sets. What has that got to do with acting? Once you build that kind of muscular body, it even inhibits you from foraying into diverse characters. Can today’s muscular actors do Balraj Sahni’s roles? Can they do a Devdas or a Saaransh or even Amol Patekar’s role in Chhoti Si Baat? If you are going to waste time in what you wear and how many extra inches you have in your arms, how can you concentrate and get into the skin of the character?

Do you think Ranbir has matched up to his father Rishi Kapoor?
He is outstanding in the film. I cannot tell his parents that he has bettered Rishi.

Why can’t you tell them that?
Rishi and Neetu were my favourites. The entire Kapoor khandan will be proud of his performance. Nobody else could have done this role. I could have taken a set actor for this role, but I didn’t want a set array of expressions. Ek do film ke baad, Ranbir aur Sonam ke bhi ban jayenge. But I wanted fresh expressions (pauses) — because their characters are very well etched in terms of emotional equilibrium. As for Sonam, I would say that she has done exceptionally well.

Don’t you think that you have taken a big responsibility by launching Ranbir and Sonam?
Yes. I was very aware of that. Ranbir came from a family which has excellency in not only acting but film-making. Sonam is the daughter of a fine actor. But I didn’t keep it in my head, for then I would have got bogged down. So that’s why, they had to go through some scoldings and firings.