Producer Sajid Nadiadwala who produced three big hits in 2014 has just made his hugely successful directorial debut with Kick. He tells Subhash K Jha why he has a lot to celebrate.
This Eid was very special for you?
Salman Khan and I had released Judwaa 17 years ago. At that time, the trade didn't pay attention to festive releases. In fact during Christmas, distributors would refuse to take delivery of films because it was too cold in North India. Now there is a clamour for Christmas releases. Likewise during Eid the trade was afraid to release films because of Ramzan. Times have changed.
So Salman and you in Eid 2016?
I hope not! I am not keen to direct again unless Salman asks me to. I am grateful to God. To have four successful films in a year. Now I need to get back to work right after celebrating Eid on Tuesday. I also want to spend some time with my sons before their school starts. I haven't seen them for six months.
Kick is a roaring success. Did you expect this kind of response to the film?
Salman is Salman. You can't question his stardom. The trade experts are looking at a box office figure of Rs 250 crores.
Do you think that's a realistic figure?
Salman's last Eid release Ek Tha Tiger had done a business of about 190 crores when they had one holiday. Anything above what Salman Khan's last Eid release did is good enough for me as a debutant director.
Who says you are a debutant director?
I know. No one is willing to evaluate me as debutant director. That's unfair. Sachin Tendulkar is an exceptional cricketer. But if you put him on the other side and ask him to bowl or become a wicket keeper and expect him to get the same kind of laurels, that would be unrealistic, no?
Perhaps. But then you've been a closet director for many years?
I wouldn't have turned director if Salman Khan wasn't such a dear friend and if he had not told me to direct Kick. I was like a child who had to prove himself in his examination, not for the sake of his teacher but his family. Luckily I had a good producer with me.
Yes, Sajid Nadidwala has never been known to deprive his directors?
I could trust this producer blindly. He is never known to say no to anything to any director. So I had a reliable producer and a superstar to support my directorial plans. Baaqi toh main koi anari ttha nahin. I've grown up on the sets of the films produced by my family. I didn't have to do anything new as a director. Farq itna ttha ke mujhe 6 baje uthna padhta ttha (I had to get up at 6 am). I had to be on the sets before anyone else. As a producer, I could saunter in at lunch-time. I've to say it wouldn't have been possible to direct Kick without a fantastic team.
Shirish Kunder was supposed to direct Kick?
Yes. It was Salman Khan's idea that I turn director with Kick. He didn't suggest it to me nor ask me. He just told me, 'Do it'. No questions asked. Once I decided to do it, it was very important for me to live up to mine and Salman's expectations. The producer in me had taken a backseat. The numbers, collections and profits did matter. But I wasn't thinking about them while directing Kick. I was only focusing on making a film that the audience would approve of. I was the producer and the director. But I was more bothered about getting it right as the director. The producer already knew his job.
At what point did you actually begin to feel the pressure of having to deliver something really bigger than the normal Salman-Eid release?
After the first promo. That's when it hit me that Kick was being seen as something more than a Salman-Eid film. I was told Kick had an international feel to it. I wanted Kick to be judged favourably against action films abroad. And I feel we succeeded in that.
Salman Khan has gone on record to say you are the friend he would turn to if he ever needed money?
It came as a very moving surprise. I've never spoken about my friendship with Salman. Neither has he. I call him Son, he calls me Grandson. Everything else is unspoken between us. Salman Khan is not the kind to talk about his feelings. For him to
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