Ali Abbas Zafar is all set to be back after Sultan (2016)
with Tiger Zinda Hai. The hype around the Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif starrer
film is immense. Will the film live up to the expectations set by its prequel
Ek Tha Tiger? Let’s hear it from the director himself...
After Sultan what is the kind of pressure?
Pressure is definitely too much. TZH is a big budget
film. The hype around the film is phenomenal. It’s my second film with Salman
Khan and that too it’s a sequel. So, lot of reasons to feel pressurised, but I
am not taking one.
Since Salman’s last film Tubelight did not do well...
I don’t think I have that pressure at all. Salman Khan
has that pressure. But I think what’s important is that as a filmmaker you only
make the film that you believe in. Sometimes those films work and sometimes
they don’t. As an actor they only sign the film only if they believe in the
film because they always have so many offers around them.
You were with Salman shooting for TZH when he got to know
that Tubelight wasn’t doing well. What was his reaction?
We never spoke about it then, but he stood by his film.
He was working with the same energy and zeal (for TZH). We all are humans. We
all have good days and bad days. So obviously when we put in hard work and
don’t get results, it definitely affects you. At the same time the kind of man
he is, the kind of things he has seen in his personal and professional life,
his ups and downs - I don’t think this matters to him anymore.
What do you mean by Zinda Hai in the tittle? Is it the
same story going on or is it a new story?
It’s the same story with a leap of 8 years from the first
part. It’s based on real events but I have completely fictionalized it. This is
more of a mission film. Ek Tha Tiger was more of a romantic film. This one
explores the work space of the agents much more.
If Katrina Kaif would have not agreed to be a part of the
sequel, who would have been your next go-to person?
I think the film would have not got made if Katrina was
not there. She has an equal part in the film. It explores both of them as
agents and that’s why it’s a true sequel. She is as important as Tiger in the
film.
Salman said 'NO' to intense romantic scenes in the film.
Did you have to rework some scenes because of that?
Not at all. The romance in TZH is a very strong
underlined romance. It’s not in-your-face romance and the idea was always to
tell the true story to the audience which is a mission story.
Salman has a policy of “No Kissing On Screen”. Were you
ever tempted to push him...
(Cuts in) So do I. I have never asked him to do so. I
don’t believe in kissing onscreen and none of my earlier films had kissing or
intimate scenes or bed scenes or double meaning jokes, etc. So whatever Bhai
believes in and the kind of cinema he likes, we are very much on the same page.
You have slowly become Salman’s favourite...
Somewhere or the other our sensibility of making films is
very much the same. Also the way we both package our films and the way we
do our films, they are very family-oriented and clean. When we talk about
scripts, or we talk about scenes, we gel really well. My relationship with him
is not of a Director-Actor, it’s more like a younger brother. He has so much
experience and I always play on his strengths and powers. His contribution to
my work has always been great. I think my journey as a director has a lot to do
with his contribution. He has a great sense of humour which I love. I think he
likes a bit of my sense of humour. So we get along.
Do you get star struck when you see Salman, or are you
both are on back-slapping terms?
No, that way my relationship with him is almost like a
family member. I don’t treat him like a superstar. I could be in a room with
him and I would just look at him once and nod my head and not talk to him for
the rest of the evening and we have that understanding. I don’t do that extra
thing and neither does he. At times we don’t speak to each other for months.
Since I have been editing TZH, we have not spoken at all. Whenever we have
something for each other, we speak. That has been the process in both the films
(Sultan & TZH).
YRF has given you a free hand on the budget of TZH.
How was the feeling of having no one pulling you back on the money?
It has been difficult. Because somewhere or the other as
a director, you are answerable to the producer. So every penny that has been
spent is my responsibility. I have to make sure that my producers get it back.
This is actually my biggest pressure on the film more than anything else. The
good thing is when you see the film, every penny spent shows. The big budget
was required by the story because when you mount a film of such a scale you
need to make the audience believe that you were in a war zone and this is how
it functions in this scenario.
YRF has not had a blockbuster hit in the past few months.
Did that add to the pressure?
Well obviously, it’s a part of your job. Definitely when
things don’t work well, you are under pressure. But I think we know how to be a
part of this game. It’s not new to us. We are fighting back.
TZH is a sequel of Ek Tha Tiger which was directed by
Kabir Khan. How much of a difference will the film have in terms of execution?
When I came up with the idea of TZH, I shared it with
Kabir and he really liked it. He has always been very close to me. I want Kabir
to see TZH and then I will know what he feels.
Your last film had a line where Shah Rukh Khan was
mentioned in Salman’s dialogue. Is there anything similar you are trying to do
in this one?
(Laughs) No. Not Shah Rukh Khan. But yes, there are
references to other people, which you will get to know when you see the film.
What if Padmavati had released on December 1? Do you
think its delay is a blessing in disguise for TZH?
Lot of people say that. It’s more of a trade language. I
just feel that if a film is a good film, it will anyway get the deserving
audience it needs. Even if Padmavati was releasing on December 1, there was a
big gap of 2 weeks between the 2 films. It’s unfortunate that it did not
release. Hopefully, people will now come and watch Tiger Zinda Hai.
Image Source: Instagram/tigerzindahai/aliabbaszafar/padmavati