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'I want to do films with people I can relate to'

Another star son makes a debut. But Rahul Khanna's is no ordinary debut. Nor can he just be called Vinod Khanna's son or Akshaye Khanna's brother. Because he has been a celebrity, in his own right, for quite some time.

Starting his entertainment career as an MTV veejay -- Rahul had a fan following not because of his lineage, but because of his looks and his infectious charm. He was an instant hit not just in India, but in other parts of Asia as well.

Then, one fine day, he disappeared. And as suddenly, he was in the news for having bagged a role in Deepa Mehta's 1947: Earth. It was a dream debut. The film was screened last year at the Toronto Film Festival and Rahul was described as among the best and brightest new talents.

Almost a year after the film was completed, it will release in India on Friday. Rahul is, naturally, a little nervous. Though he doesn't stake much on the film, he still feels he should be liked and appreciated.

He is not keen on doing the song-and-dance routine in Hindi films; he would rather do something which appeals to him. So, despite getting offers from the industry, he does not have another project on hand yet. He wants to give it time.

In an interview with Sharmila Taliculum, Rahul talks about his dreams and aspirations, and, of course, about 1947: Earth. Polite and suave, he answered questions with a rare humility and honesty.

Sometime back I read you never planned to do a Hindi film. What changed your mind?

The comment was made on the spur of the moment. I don’t think I made it as a rule for the rest of my life. I think I was frustrated at the time because the Hindi films that were coming my way were not exciting.

But this thing (1947...) was just beautiful. When Deepa sent me the script it was absolutely spectacular. It still is. It's beautifully written and she has adapted the book so well. The character I play is just fantastic and I really relate to it. So I would have been a fool to say no.

How did she choose you for this film?

Her casting director, Uma da Cunha, recommended me for the part. And then she watched me on MTV and called me up. We spoke on the phone for hours. Then I went and met her and she offered me the part.

Had you read the book before you accepted the part?

I did not read the book before I accepted the role, but I had read the script. I didn't have to audition, which is a good thing because I don't think I would have got the job if I had auditioned!

Deepa is a director who likes to talk, to act and to spend hours discussing the film and the characters. So that helped a lot.

You have said your character is an amalgamation of different characters in the book? How’s that possible?

That was really the director's job. Obviously, you can'’t make the entire book into a film. It is going to be an eight-hour-long film. So she chose specific incidents and adapted them into the cinematic format. The character of Hassan in the book is a very small one, but she fleshed it out by adding elements from other characters to him.

After reading the script, I thought it was a lovely character. And then I read the book. While reading it, I recognised the incidents and I said 'oh my god! This scene was for that character and not entirely for Hassan.'

How did you work on your character?

How did I work on it? Well, I obviously read the book. I did a lot of research on Partition -- I talked to people who lived through it, watched films which dealt with that period, discussed it with author Bapsi Sidhwa. She was always available to us during the shoot. It is her story and she has actually lived through the time. So anything that needed to be cleared, we asked her.

I am a masseur, a maalishwalah, in the film. We hadn't decided whether we were going to show scenes where I am actually practising my trade. But I had taken massage lessons from an actual masseur, just in case.

Also, I bite my nails, as you can see (shows his nails!). I was petrified that there would be close-ups of my hands. So, for the duration of the film, I stopped biting my nails. That was a great accomplishment. But the day we stopped shooting, I started again!

The Censor Board is not too happy with the lovemaking scene between you and Nandita Das. Has the shot been edited?

Yes. That shot has unfortunately been cut. Not entirely, but certain parts of it have been cut. Which is a shame because it is a beautiful scene and it is not graphic at all. It is wonderfully shot, it is a long scene and 90 per cent of it is one shot! One continuous shot!

There are no cuts in it, it's all one take. And that's the part the censors have objected to. So within that, they have made the cuts. Now, I haven't seen the censored version of that scene, but I can imagine that if you censor a scene, which is one shot, it would look pretty jumpy. I don't believe in censorship anyway. So I am not thrilled about it.

Do you now plan to do Hindi films?

I am not saying I won't do Hindi films just because it is Hindi. Language is not a problem. I want to do films that excite me and with people I can relate to. For me the sensibility of the person I am working with is very important. We need to have the same sensibilities.

I had that with Deepa, that connection. We both agreed that some things were good and some things were bad. And it was a meeting of minds. I would like to find another director about whom I feel the same way.

Do you find such directors or such Hindi films being made that match your expectations?

Oh, there are so many wonderful directors working here. What's exciting at the moment is this trend of making independent films, like Hyderabad Blues. There are so many people, like Sunhil Sippy, who make films that do not conform to commercial cinema. I would love to work with people like these.

What if Subhash Ghai offered you a film...would you do it? He is a very commercial director...

It would depend on the role.

You have done a Broadway play and a film with Deepa Mehta…

So, I have been thoroughly spoilt, because if you get such projects at the beginning of your career, then where do you go? (laughs). People wait all their lives for opportunities like these and I am blessed to have had them so early. Obviously, my standards go high from here and I don’t know whether that is good or bad.

But independent films are rarely made because of lack of resources. What do you plan to do till then?

I really don't know. I am constantly looking for projects to do... projects that excite me. I have been reading scripts that are sent to me and that itself is a full-time job. But I am hoping that sometime soon I get on with another project. I don't know when it’s going to be or what it's going to be. But I hope it's going to be soon.

What are you expectations from 1947: Earth?

I hope this film does well because it's really a good film and I would like people to see it. It's a film I believe in and I think it's very entertaining. It's a socially responsible film. I hope people see it. But I am not hoping that this film is going to launch me into a great career or niche or something.

Do you see yourself fitting into the Hindi film mould?

(Thinks for five seconds) I don't know. It's tough. The Hindi films that come are a different genre. They sort of embrace different elements and I don’t think I would be good at all the song and dance sequences. You know the kind of style, the dramatics that are enacted. But I would not know until I try it out. So at this point of time, I don't have the resources as an actor to pull off a commercial Hindi film. Does that make any sense? (laughs).

Your father and your brother have been successful in commercial Hindi cinema…

Oh yeah! He (Akshaye) is wonderful.

So how did you manage to do something different?

I guess I went in the direction of the projects that I was attracted to. The projects that appealed to me. It wasn't like, 'Oh! I am going to do this, and I am not going to do that.' It was like, 'Oh! What a great project! I would like to do this.' And, 'What a great play! I would like to do it!' So if I find something great within the Hindi film market, which appeals to me, I would love to do that too.

What kinds of films are being offered to you?

A couple of offers by film-makers who are doing independent cinema out of the realm of Bollywood. I still get offers from the commercial film market. But I haven't found a project yet that I really like.

From MTV to films, what has the change been like?

From MTV to Earth? Film is a different medium from television. In TV, it's like an assembly line. It's fun… no, not fun, it's new for a year, then after that it's the same you do over and over again. Its still fun, but it's not that challenging.

With films, every single moment brings a new challenge. It's a dynamic medium, nothing remains the same from one day to another. The stakes are also much higher.

So, for me, that was the big difference coming from television. And then I think films are more respected. You get a lot more respect when you are doing a film as opposed to television.

And money too?

Films are not necessarily more lucrative than television that way. It can be in some cases.

Tell me your honest reason for accepting Earth. Was it the character or was it that Deepa Mehta was going to direct it?

When I was offered Earth, Fire hadn't released theatrically. I had seen it at a film festival. And I had never heard of Deepa before that. So what attracted me was her sensibility. I liked the sensibility that came through in Fire. And I knew immediately she is a person I would enjoy working with.

I just love her visuals, her use of music and her production values. It's just spectacular. And I am a very visual person. And I think our visual sensibilities met. So, it was the fact that I had seen Fire and read this script (Earth) of hers -- which is incredible -- that attracted me to this film.

How did you find Nandita Das and Aamir Khan?

Nandita is one of the most generous performers I know. Performers, as a rule, are very selfish people. If you are in the entertainment industry, you are your own product. You have to promote yourself and you have to make sure that you look good.

But Nandita, on the other hand, is so generous. I had never done a film and I was a bit daunted by the prospect. It was such a big film with people like Nandita, Aamir and Deepa, all with so much experience.

Nandita was just great. We would spend hours rehearsing. I could see her sacrificing her own performance to see that the person opposite her does well. She is one of my dear friends now. And I adore her. She is great. She is supremely talented. And she is one of the most beautiful women I know.

And Aamir?

Aamir was wonderful as well. I didn’t have many scenes with him. But he was laidback and he didn't come with a lot of baggage. He is extremely professional and meticulous about his work. He was also very encouraging towards someone someone like me. He had this wealth of experience behind him. And he is a good friend now as well.

Did you have any traumatic experiences while working on the film?

Making a film is an emotional roller-coaster. When you are up, you are up there. And when you are down, you are at the bottom of the barrel.

There were times when things went horribly wrong. We had riots on the sets. People were stabbed and the police came in -- it was just scary.

We were shooting in Old Delhi and the crowds went insane. It was also the coldest winter in New Delhi in 20 years. We were shooting for a summer scene during that time, wearing mulmul (linen) kurtas. Water was thrown on us to show that we were sweating -- when actually we were freezing in - 2 degrees temperature.

Physically, shooting in that kind of situation, takes its toll on you. We used to have gallons of hot tea and there were fires lit up everywhere. We looked like refugees with fire all around.

Were you free to give your suggestions to the director?

To Deepa? Yes. Deepa would surprise me when I would give a suggestion and she would take it. And it used to bother me that a woman of her standing as a director, would be taking suggestions from me. But she would really listen. She would take suggestions from anyone. If she felt they were good, she would take them. And I thought that was great.

Tell us some interesting anecdotes from the shooting…

I was really nervous. We had a rehearsal process before we started actually shooting. You know the week before shooting, I was plagued with self-doubts like, 'Will I be able to pull this off,' or 'what the hell am I doing here,' or 'will I be able to do it?'

Finally, the first day of shooting arrives. I come to the sets at 5 am and am told that Deepa isn't well, and has cancelled the shoot. And I think, 'Oh my god. What kind of woman is this? My first day of shoot and she cancels it!' So that sends me into another deep depression.

Eventually, we shot the next day. Also I didn't know whether it was mean on her part or just her way of making me comfortable, but the first scene she shot with me was a kiss with Nandita.

I had never done a film -- I was so nervous, once it was over, everything else was easy. So it was a great way of initiating me into the film.

Did you get any feedback on your performance?

Yeah, most people who have seen it have liked it. They have said positive things about it.

How did you find yourself in the film?

The first time I saw it, I hated myself. I thought I was awful and I was told that it's a usual reaction. Everyone feels that way the first time they see themselves on the screen. It's been a year since this film released, then I have done this play and, though it may sound pretentious, I feel that I have grown as an actor in one year.

Looking back on the film, I feel I was a bit green. So when I see the film, I feel, 'God why did I do it that way? I look awful from that angle.'

Do you plan to do theatre while you wait for your next film project?

I would like to do a film as my next project because I have just come out doing a play. And that's exhausting. I would like to do film now though I will do a lot of theatre as well. As of now, there is no film though there are lots of interesting offers.