Actor-director Farhan Akhtar is ready with his sequel to the runaway hit Don. Shah Rukh Khan reprises the role in Don 2, which is to hit the screens next month. In an interview, Farhan talks about why it took so long to come up with the sequel, converting the film into 3D and the problem of piracy. Excerpts:
Why did it take you five long years to return with the sequel to Don (2006)?
It has been a challenging and extremely satisfying journey to make a sequel to Don. I was guilty of declaring that in all probability I would not make a sequel to Don. But when I shared my vision with Ritesh Sidhwani, the producer of Don 2, and Shah Rukh, I found I could conceive of the sequel. I hope it works.
Do you think SRK didn't give much importance to promoting Don 2?
It is rightly said that Don ko pakadna mushkil hi nahi, namumkin hai (It's not only difficult to catch hold of Don but also impossible) (laughs). Unfortunately, he couldn't be with us for the promo launch as he was away in Dubai for the premiere of his home production Ra.One.
Whose idea was it to make Shah Rukh's voice sound huskier in Don 2?
The manner in which he wanted to speak his lines was completely Shah Rukh's take.
Why have you decided to make the film in 3D?
The film is not shot with the 3D camera. But when we saw that there was a possibility to make it into 3D, we gave it a shot. The people at Reliance made a demo and it looked good. Technology has advanced. It is great to watch the film in 3D as well.
Why did the 3D idea not occur to you while shooting Don 2?
Maybe I should have thought of it a bit earlier. The conversion of a 2D film into 3D happened when we started shooting. Before it was not so common.
How different is Don 2 from Don?
It is a new story and he plays a different role in Don 2. It is a further development of the character.
Isha Koppikar is not seen in Don 2. Is there any reason for dropping her?
Not just Isha Koppikar's character, there are quite a few others too who are not seen in the sequel. It's simple; the script didn't demand those characters.
The posters of Don 2 say the ‘King is back'. Do you think Shah Rukh is the King of Bollywood as well?
He is the king of this film. When we say ‘the king is back', we are referring to the character; and not alluding to the King of Bollywood. When I was writing the script of Don, I had Shah Rukh in my mind. He liked it so I got what I wanted.
Piracy has become the staple before the release of a film. How nervous are you prior to Don 2?
I am scared of piracy — and it is not just me, it's the case with all the producers and directors. We are working with people whom we trust. But at the end of the day, one can't predict ... piracy can happen. I hope that the content of the film does not get leaked before its release. I appeal to people to ignore the pirated version even after the film's release.
You had consulted Salim Khan for Don. Did you consult him this time too for the story?
I sought his permission to make a sequel. I had told him that some of the characters and people will not be there in the sequel and he was okay with it. He was happy andwished me luck.
The dialogue of Don “Don ko pakadna mushkil hi nahi namumkin hai” became very famous. Can we expect more of this?
There are other lines that will add spice to the film. There was a lot of emphasis on drama and action in the first part — we have maintained that.
Why did it take you five long years to return with the sequel to Don (2006)?
It has been a challenging and extremely satisfying journey to make a sequel to Don. I was guilty of declaring that in all probability I would not make a sequel to Don. But when I shared my vision with Ritesh Sidhwani, the producer of Don 2, and Shah Rukh, I found I could conceive of the sequel. I hope it works.
Do you think SRK didn't give much importance to promoting Don 2?
It is rightly said that Don ko pakadna mushkil hi nahi, namumkin hai (It's not only difficult to catch hold of Don but also impossible) (laughs). Unfortunately, he couldn't be with us for the promo launch as he was away in Dubai for the premiere of his home production Ra.One.
Whose idea was it to make Shah Rukh's voice sound huskier in Don 2?
The manner in which he wanted to speak his lines was completely Shah Rukh's take.
Why have you decided to make the film in 3D?
The film is not shot with the 3D camera. But when we saw that there was a possibility to make it into 3D, we gave it a shot. The people at Reliance made a demo and it looked good. Technology has advanced. It is great to watch the film in 3D as well.
Why did the 3D idea not occur to you while shooting Don 2?
Maybe I should have thought of it a bit earlier. The conversion of a 2D film into 3D happened when we started shooting. Before it was not so common.
How different is Don 2 from Don?
It is a new story and he plays a different role in Don 2. It is a further development of the character.
Isha Koppikar is not seen in Don 2. Is there any reason for dropping her?
Not just Isha Koppikar's character, there are quite a few others too who are not seen in the sequel. It's simple; the script didn't demand those characters.
The posters of Don 2 say the ‘King is back'. Do you think Shah Rukh is the King of Bollywood as well?
He is the king of this film. When we say ‘the king is back', we are referring to the character; and not alluding to the King of Bollywood. When I was writing the script of Don, I had Shah Rukh in my mind. He liked it so I got what I wanted.
Piracy has become the staple before the release of a film. How nervous are you prior to Don 2?
I am scared of piracy — and it is not just me, it's the case with all the producers and directors. We are working with people whom we trust. But at the end of the day, one can't predict ... piracy can happen. I hope that the content of the film does not get leaked before its release. I appeal to people to ignore the pirated version even after the film's release.
You had consulted Salim Khan for Don. Did you consult him this time too for the story?
I sought his permission to make a sequel. I had told him that some of the characters and people will not be there in the sequel and he was okay with it. He was happy andwished me luck.
The dialogue of Don “Don ko pakadna mushkil hi nahi namumkin hai” became very famous. Can we expect more of this?
There are other lines that will add spice to the film. There was a lot of emphasis on drama and action in the first part — we have maintained that.
