‘Heropanti’ director Sabbir Khan on a new path

Sabbir Khan’s only other claim to fame (or infamy) is his debut Kambakkht Ishq, a romantic comedy starring Akshay Kumar and Kareena Kapoor, which was a box office dud. With Heropanti, the director wishes to make a difference.

Socially relevant film: “After Kambakkht Ishq, I took a little time to think of how to tell a better story — trying to consciously come into a league where people look at me as a better filmmaker. Heropanti is a love story but socially relevant too. At the onset, people may think it’s a fun, mainstream film — it is — but, within the film, we’ve tried to say something really important.”

21 debuts: “There were a lot of important characters in the film and like anyone else, I was going to approach veteran actors for the roles. But then I thought of the imbalance that would create because [with Tiger and Kriti], there will be this fresh energy. So, I decided to cast the entire film anew. I felt it would be a matter of one to one-and-a-half months of auditioning but it lasted three months. I think the infusion of this fresh cast from theatre, stage and television is going to be like a fresh burst of energy on the big screen.”

Mentoring Tiger and Kriti: “Yes, I’ve spent the last year-and-a-half with them. But more than micromanaging them, I think we have become friends. Even when I was directing them, I didn’t do what a director generally does with his actors. Even beyond the film, we’ve created a bond which will always be there. I enjoy being with them.”