Emraan Hashmi Q & A

How do you think the film has shaped up?

I’m very pleased with it. We’ve achieved what we set out for. This film was not anything like the usual films I do. I got a call in 2014, that’s when Ekta (Kapoor; producer) spoke to me. Then, the script was written, the research started, Azhar Bhai gave the film his go-ahead, and then I met him over lunch. He then began training me. I started talking to him about his life, the problems he had gone through, his captaincy, and more. And all that has come out on screen exactly the way we planned it. I must add that Tony (D’Souza; director) has made a fantastic film.

Emraan, how much of a cricket lover were you while growing up?

I think cricket is in our blood, and it is a religion in our country. I have definitely followed a lot of his matches through the ’80s and ’90s. It was a different era of cricket at that point in time. I wouldn’t say it was contaminated, but there weren’t too many options. There would be a very singular attention on cricket when the matches would happen. Only one or two channels would show them, and each match was like an event for the house. It’s not like how it is now… there are so many avenues now. I always say that those were the glory days of cricket, which Azhar bhai was a part of, and I was fortunate to have grown up in that time. When India-Pakistan matches would happen, the city would shut down to see them, and we used to play too. Everyone would fight about who was going to bat first.

People will be extremely critical when they see you essaying Azhar’s role on screen. Are you ready for some criticism too?

You can expect that from any film of this nature. It is normal because you are playing someone popular and alive. You can’t please everyone. It’s something every actor would fear, but this is not exactly a biopic in its true sense. The film finds a sweet spot between a biopic and a film which is too outlandish to be true. I would say 90 per cent of his (Azhar’s) life is there in the film but it has been made a lot more dramatic. It’s a popcorn film; you go there to enjoy and get entertained. So I had to decide where I could take the liberty in treating a scene differently. I am ready to face criticism. But as of now, after the trailer launch, the praise has outnumbered the criticism.

We heard some of the cricketer’s traits and quirks stayed with you for a long time even after the film was done? Let us more about that.

Some of his mannerisms lingered on to my next film Raaz 4. I did face slight problem while shooting for my next and my director would keep telling me – ‘Please get out of Azhar right now’. I had copied his style for so long. The small things he does like he shakes his head, his gait, walking like him with one shoulder up, head tilted on one side. I would constantly do that on the sets and it consciously became part of my style when I was playing the other character. It took me some time to get out of Azhar,” (laughs)

Azhar is a very private person how was it with him opening up to you?

I was surprised to learn that Azharuddin, doesn’t open up easily. He shared quite a bit from his life with me. Obviously, he opened up to us because the film was being made on his life but I wasn’t expecting that. I had heard about Azhar bhai that he doesn’t share too many things but he opened up quite a bit and we were quite happy with the kind of stuff we got from him. To make this a personal journey I had to get stories, moments and experiences of him that is not just media stories you have read about. I had to spend time with him and get all of this first hand.

Will you be doing more movies based on real personalities? Did you enjoy it?

I have to admit that shooting for this film was a very satisfying and fulfilling journey.

So much so that now I want to do more of such films that draw from reality and demand the kind of work and research we put in as compared to fictional films.

 

Mohammed Azharuddin Q & A

You took over a year to say yes to a film based on your life. And now that the trailer has already released, what do you think of it?

You never think about your life being replicated on screen. So naturally it’s a different feeling. But I think Emraan bhai has done really well. He has worked very hard, trained and read a lot of paper clippings and is extremely professional. I like his approach towards work. He even hurt himself while training for the cricket portions and you have to make those sacrifices when you know you have to deliver. From whatever I have seen so far, it looks good.

 

Once the film releases, people will revisit the controversies of your life. Won’t it make you uncomfortable?

Azhar: People are bound to talk, but I don’t blame them. I think tough people survive difficult times. If you don’t have patience during those times, you will not survive. That is the law of nature. The first two years (after the match fixing case) were really difficult but I stood strong through the case. If I had lost (the case), it would have been a very different story. The film would have been made in a very different way. I don’t look at life negatively. I believe good things happen to positive people. Staying positive is my strength and I am thankful to Allah for giving me that strength and patience.

Even though the judiciary has given you a clean chit and withdrawn the ban, there might be people who don’t support you. There are chances that negative talk about you will resume. Does it scare you?

I am pretty used to it. Nobody can stop them from saying whatever they have to. I don’t worry about what people say about me as long as people who love me and my fans, who care for me, are happy.

After all that happened, do you wish to associate yourself with the Indian cricket team by being a part of the management or becoming a coach?

I will be happy if I am given an opportunity. I am willing to give back whatever cricket I have played. A number of players have come to me for advice but I choose to not talk about it for publicity. I am not that kind of a person. As a cricketer you must help people who are struggling and give them proper advice.

When you heard that Emraan will be playing you in the film, what was your reaction?

I thought he was the best person to do the job. I’ve seen his films. The first thing that appeals to me about an actor or a player is his or her professionalism. I think Emraan has been very professional, and has worked very hard on the film. He left no stone unturned. I’m sure people will like it. It’s not easy to copy someone. It’s a different film involving events that occurred in somebody’s life. I think people will get inspired by this.

Were you sceptical about sharing details of your life for a film?

I don’t fear anything. If I did, this film wouldn’t have been made. When you want to do something, you have to do it whole-heartedly. I think they’ve done a good job of portraying whatever has happened in my life. It’s a positive film, and people shouldn’t see it in a negative way.

Azharuddin, now that you have so closely been involved with the process of film-making, what’s your take on acting as a profession?

It’s not an easy profession at all. They have to fight it out, and there’s so much competition nowadays. When you watch a film on the big screen, you don’t realise the hard work and sacrifice that goes into making it. When you’re shooting, it takes ages sometimes to move from one shot to another. It’s a testing time for actors. You have to get into a different mould, learn so much, and still keep your mind straight. It’s a very tough job.

Why did you choose to use a film as a medium to tell your story and not, maybe, write a book instead?

It is purely because of the reach.  So many people watch films. If I had written a book, only some [people] would have read it. Cinema is a large medium. Once they (audiences) see it, they will see the problems I had to face, the tough times, and how I came out of it all. I feel it is also an inspiring film. How I reacted at that time, what my attitude was, how I behaved, how other people said things against me, and how I reacted to them… if everybody has to know all that, then cinema as a medium is the biggest.

 

Prachi Desai Q&A

How is it working in your first real life based film? You are playing Azhar’s first wife – Naureen? No one has heard about her much.

My role in Azhar is quite important and yes it was difficult for research as no one knows about her. Everybody has heard of her but no one has seen her. I think this is the most interesting thing about my role. It’s like I am putting a face to the real life character on screen.  It was the biggest challenge.

It’s been quite some time since you have done a film. Should we say that you have become choosey?

I have always been very selective and choosey about the films I do.  Quality matters a lot to me.  The kind of people that I like to work with is important to me and I like looking at the bigger picture. I can’t look at things on a momentary basis. Doing good films has always been important to me. I want to be a part of a really good project like Azhar – just like Rock on 2.

What kind of roles would you like to do going ahead?

I would really like to do a love story. I would love to be a part of any romantic film.

Have you ever played cricket in your childhood?

Oh yeah! Of course I have! In fact I have some really fond memories of it. I have a bunch of cousins and they are all guys so we used to always end up paying cricket out of no choice of mine but it was always a lot of fun. I really miss that a lot. Thanks to Azhar I get to put my hands on the bat again after a long time. Cricket is one of those infectious things where if someone is playing cricket, you want to go and play along.

How would you define your shooting experience for Azhar?

I would say all in all the film has been a very impactful experience. This is the first time I am doing a biopic and where I am playing the role of Naureen who is so beautiful, she has been a mystery to the world. Everyone is aware of Azhar but Naureen has never been in the limelight. So it was extremely challenging. At the same time I learnt so much about life through this experience because there are all these assumptions and pre-conceived notions that we have about other people. It was only after meeting Naureen that everything changed. It was a completely new outlook that I had towards the film, to the role and to Naureen as a person. I think I have the best role in film!

How has it been working with Emraan and Nargis on the sets?

This is my second film with Emraan after ‘Once upon a time in Mumbai’. We do share an amazing chemistry on screen and I hope with Azhar it gets better. It was lot of fun shooting with him. He has amazing sense of humour.

 

Nargis Fakhri Q&A

How did you land Sangeeta Bijlani’s role in Azhar?

Balaji shared the script with me, told me about the character and they thought that I would fit well. They asked me if I would like to do the film because I enjoy films based on true life events. I was pretty excited because I feel you get a glimpse in someone else’s life that otherwise you would’ve never got a chance to see.
Did you meet Sangeeta Bijlani and Mohammad Azharuddin?

Unfortunately, I didn’t get to meet Sangeeta but I met Azhar twice. Not much of a conversation with him either, as Emraan did most of the talking.

How about your song sequence with Emraan who is touted as the ‘Serial kisser’ of Bollywood?

Emraan Hashmi is a smart conversationalist. I probably didn’t enjoy filming the song as much as he did. Lots of kissing happened… In fact, there was so much of it that at one point I wasn’t sure if they were retakes, a part of the song, or someone playing a prank on me

Did you ask Azhar anything about Sangeeta?

No, I did not. I left all of that to the director (Tony D’Souza) and then went through my workshops which consisted of her movies. Also, I had to do a lot of research through Internet, but it was fun. Honestly, my favorite part in my preparation was getting to dress up and get my hair done like the heroines did it in the 90s.

How was it working with Emraan Hashmi and Prachi Desai?

I spent more time with Emraan as we have a big love track in the film. Prachi is lovely and funny. With some people, you tend to be cordial but deep down inside you don’t like them- but with Prachi, I truly felt that she is a lovely person. As for Emraan, he is an awesome dude- grounded, smart, and very professional.

Emraan and you required several retakes while shooting the kissing scenes…

Emraan and I were too busy kissing to say anything, but Tony insisted on more retakes. I thought Emraan and he were playing a joke on me, so I got quite miffed – but later, I realized that the retakes were required.

How was it shooting the iconic song ‘Oye Oye’? You even fainted during its shoot…

It sucks being sick because you can’t give it your all and it becomes frustrating because you want to do your best. So, you can only try and do your best and hope it comes good. Thankfully, it has come out awesome.

Tell us one good and one bad memory that you take away from Azhar?

Dancing to ‘Oye Oye’ was sort of traumatic. If you’re sick, you want to be in bed and need someone to take care of you. But here, I was dancing on the sets. That was the worst part. The best part was being in London and working with a very well organised team.

You have also worked in Hollywood. What is the big difference you see in Bollywood?

They don’t waste time out there, they stick to their dates. Here, you don’t know what’s going on!

via Sterling Media