farah khan interview

Interview : Farah Khan ready to direct comedy

Farah Khan, who made "Main Hoon Na", one of the most successful films of 2004, is already looking seriously at her next project - a comedy.

"I'm working on the script. Again it'll be a full commercial movie, but with more stars than 'Main Hoon Na'. It'll be a fast-moving entertainer. If any actor pauses for more than five seconds over his dialogue, I go to sleep behind the camera," Farah told us.

"It'll be an out-and-out comedy with no action. I want to tell all the critics who blasted my first film...hey guys, just because people have a good time in a film it doesn't mean it's a bad film. Boring cinema is not good cinema."

She pauses and returns to her new film. "It's an ensemble film with a large number of guys and two girls. But where are the girls? I can't find any for my film! Anu Malik will do the music. He has to. Otherwise he'll either kill me or himself. Anu should win all the popular awards for 'Main Hoon Na'...

"Of course Shah Rukh Khan will be in it - how can I not cast him, specially since he's the producer, ha ha! Seriously, having Shah Rukh in my film is like having Shirish Kunder in my life. Do you know Shah Rukh did the 'kanyaadan' at our wedding?"

She lights up like a Christmas tree. "My wedding was a full 'Hum Aapke Hain Koun'. It went on for six days. Imagine, after saying that I wanted a runaway private marriage! It was so sweet...It just shows that I've good friends... The 'sangeet' had 350 people. Everyone had a blast till 6 a.m.

"The Karan-Arjun reunion (Salman-Shah Rukh) also took place. There was another smaller reunion between me and Karisma Kapoor. We had a small misunderstanding long back...I met her during a flight and invited her. She came with her dad and sister Kareena.

"Govinda flew down from Delhi and Saif Ali Khan from Kolkata. Nagarjuna and his wife Amala flew down from Hyderabad. Mira Nair came from Delhi...The wedding next day was for close friends and family. We had three weddings...a registered a marriage, a south Indian wedding and a Muslim nikaah. I cried through all three. So did my brother. The only person who didn't cry was my husband Shirish Kunder.

"People said I should've behaved like a coy bride at my wedding. But I freaked out at the sangeet. Off went my shoes, the ghagra was hitched up and I danced all night until the hotel proprietors shooed us away in the morning. Salman danced on the table with my mother. Shah Rukh and Gauri slow danced...Luckily no one took mobile pictures. But I wish you were there. Sorry, I'm not getting married for you again," Farah chuckles.

Farah plans to shift to a new home with her husband in the next six months. "Can't leave my brother suddenly! Shirish comes back home like a good husband every evening."

Farah thought she would retire from choreography after marriage. "But that isn't going to happen. 2005 is jam-packed with choreographic assignments. Karan Johar's next will start by April. And my husband is making a love story with Salman and Akshay in it for Sajid Nadiadwala. Of course I'll do the choreography. I've no choice and neither does he. If he wants his songs to be well choreographed he'd better take me only.

"Then my brother is starting a three-hero film for Percept Films. For Karan Johar's production 'Kaal', I'll choreograph the title song, which Shah Rukh Khan is enacting. Then there's Shah Rukh's film directed by Amol Palekar, and of course my own film. For Palekar's film they want me to get trained to choreograph classical dancing. They don't think I'm up to it."

Another assignment for Farah Khan is as judge on Sony Entertainment's "Indian Idol". "Last year when I took this on I was doing no major work. I didn't know I was going to get married. But it's pretty easy. What better job than to sit there and pass comments on people?

"Every Tuesday and Thursday I've to go and shoot for 'Indian Idol' for two hours. I'm having a ball. The show is highly entertaining. And 'Indian Idol' is giving us really good talent. I want to use some of the singers in my film. Anu Malik and I have zeroed in on about six singers."

What about the criticism that the judges are rude to the contestants?

"See, I'm amusing and honest with them. If I try to be sweet the show will get extremely boring. All our reactions to the contestants are strictly spontaneous.

"I feel sorry for the rejected contestants. Everyone thinks he or she sings too well. One contestant's mother got really violent. Anu was so scared he hid behind Sonu Nigam! All this makes 'Indian Idol' very interesting."