Devara x Jigra - Full Interview - NTR, Koratala Siva, Karan Johar, Alia Bhatt - Sep27
Category
😹
FunTranscript
00:00The magic of movie stars, mega movie stars, is something that you can rarely describe in words,
00:05but you can always, always experience.
00:08I am so privileged to experience this magic of two incredible, phenomenal forces of nature.
00:14Now, he is a legacy movie star, a global phenomenon, but at its heart, a bonafide artist, a terrific actor.
00:22She puts the act in actor and has wowed critics and audiences across the world
00:28and literally with each performance, and since she walked the highway of Hindi cinema, has won so many hearts,
00:34I am privileged to introduce to you Alia Bhatt and Junior NTR in conversation with me.
00:39Alright. Okay, wow. So, we have...
00:42Just one second, we have to give a little backstory because a minute ago you were like,
00:45okay, I don't know how I'm going to start this, I don't know what I'm going to say, and then now you've started.
00:49You've given a speech, right?
00:50You do know I'm a talk show host and this is what I do for a living.
00:53I do, but you just didn't know what to say and suddenly it came.
00:55No, but my thoughts run and then I say things.
00:57It's too good.
00:58That's absolutely...
00:59That's difficult.
01:00It's too good.
01:01Yeah, but listen...
01:02Not amazing.
01:03I still don't have the talent that both of you have.
01:04First, let's just address that we have such deep commonality.
01:08But there's one part, I'm going to ask us a quick question, that there's one other aspect that we all have in common
01:14that we will chat about later.
01:16Firstly, RRR happened.
01:18And I still remember the moment when Alia signed that film, how happy I was that she was working with Rajamouli sir.
01:23Like, I was like, oh my god, this is like the biggest moment ever.
01:26Both of you collaborated on that film.
01:28I had the privilege of collaborating with you on Devra and presenting the film to the Hindi audience,
01:35which is so amazing because my journey started with Rajamouli sir, you know, way back with Bahubali 1.
01:41I, of course, introduced Alia to the movies.
01:44So there is Rajamouli sir and there is Devra, there's Jigra coming up.
01:48And then there's me sitting right in the middle of it all.
01:50I really feel like there is such amazement.
01:53But there is one other commonality that you have with Alia.
01:56Do you know what that is?
02:00You know what that is?
02:01No.
02:02He will eternally be the student number one.
02:05And you will always be student of the year.
02:07That's true. Yeah, we discussed this.
02:10Oh, wow.
02:11Yeah, I remember during RRR promotions also we discussed this.
02:14So I just thought of it and I was like, wow, there's something else that we have in common.
02:19We have the student factor in common.
02:22Tara, thank you so much for being in conversation with us.
02:24My pleasure, sir.
02:25Tell me, what did you feel like when you first met Alia on the sets of RRR?
02:29What was that experience?
02:30Well, see, it was the first time I'm actually, you know, this whole big crossover.
02:38It started there.
02:40And I've always admired her work.
02:45And I've said it and I'll say it again that she's one of the finest actors we have.
02:50Hands down.
02:51And I was telling her the moment I walked in, I was like, I don't know when I saw Jigra's trailer.
02:58Was it the song?
03:00You know, hearing the song, was I tearing up for that?
03:02Or was it just looking at Alia's performance?
03:04And the first few seconds, she could just take me away from where I am into the world of Jigra.
03:13And it's not very, it's not simple, it's not easy.
03:17You know, for somebody to just take the audience away from their preliminary source
03:23and take them into this beautiful world of acting.
03:27It's, I don't know, I've always said that you can never train somebody to act.
03:34It just comes.
03:36And I think she's one of those phenomenal actors we have.
03:42And the moment I saw her at the sets of RRR.
03:47So for me, it was not Alia Bhatt from the North film industry.
03:55But for me, it was one of my favorite actors I'm looking at.
03:59And I think we just started off from there.
04:02And I think we share a wonderful bond today.
04:06I mean, I can't imagine any other friend in Bombay other than Alia.
04:12And of course, after Alia came Ranbir.
04:15So it was not Ranbir and me weren't friends.
04:17It was me and Alia first.
04:19And then Ranbir followed.
04:21So yeah, it's amazing.
04:24That's amazing.
04:25And Alia, I know that you must have heard so much about the mega movie stardom of Junior NTR.
04:33You know, before you went on that set.
04:35And I remember that, you know, when you went on,
04:37we were like, when she was going to shoot for RRR,
04:40it was like, you know, she's going like, we have to give her a send-off.
04:43She's going into this amazing magical world of SS Rajamouli.
04:47And I was like, so what was your takeaway when you finally faced the camera?
04:50Because before I say, I've heard all about him and how he operates on set.
04:55So Ayaan Mukherjee is directing, who has, I must say, has the privilege of directing him in War 2.
05:00He's like Speedy Gonsalves.
05:02He comes and makes it all happen.
05:04He just does it and it's all done and he's brilliant and it's done.
05:07It's over.
05:08And you know, Ayaan is a ponderer.
05:11He's a thinker.
05:12He just sits and everything, he has a lot of thoughts.
05:15So for him, you're the opposite of his energy.
05:17What was your experience when you performed with him in RRR?
05:21So I think even before I had signed on to do RRR,
05:26when the announcement of RRR came,
05:28it was just the image of Rajamouli sir, Tarak and Ramcharan together.
05:35I think that was like a, there was an anticipation in general for everybody.
05:40Little did I know that I would be walking onto that set one day.
05:43And of course, like you rightfully mentioned,
05:45I'd heard so much, you know, about the way Tarak is, his stardom.
05:49So I was naturally expecting to be severely intimidated.
05:54I was like, okay, I'm going to walk on set
05:56and I'm going to forget all my lines that I've been rehearsing for for one year.
05:59And I started off, we started, my first day on shoot was that big scene
06:04where we meet for the first time and, you know,
06:06our characters don't know who each other are.
06:09So it was quite like the big scene to start with.
06:12It was pretty intense.
06:14It was pretty intense.
06:15But contrary to what I had imagined, he was not intimidating at all.
06:20In fact, he was really helpful.
06:21Very quiet.
06:22So I was quiet.
06:23I was so shocked of how quiet that set was.
06:26I'm telling you, Kankaran, the shot started, cut.
06:28It was pin drop silence.
06:29And I was like, why isn't anybody screaming and shouting?
06:31Like what's going on?
06:33No, but it was wonderful.
06:34And ever since that, like we had, we shot that scene for over a couple of days.
06:39And then through the days, we became more and more friendly,
06:42chatting off and off camera, talking about the process.
06:46I was, of course, very nervous, but Tarak made me very comfortable.
06:49And whenever I was even a little bit fumbling or not sure,
06:51he would just naturally correct me.
06:52And of course, when Ayan Singh, he's Speedy Gonsalves,
06:54means like the energy is buzzing.
06:57But what I love about him as an actor is that he is so unpredictable.
07:00Like, even though I couldn't understand the language,
07:02when I see it in his eyes, what he's saying is, it's all happening from here.
07:08And like, you know, Rajamouli Siwar would give him a beat
07:11and give him some, you know, direction or something.
07:14And then he would be like, yeah, yeah, yeah.
07:15Then you can see it's bursting out of him to give what the director has asked for.
07:20So I would always like in my close ups, like in his close ups, in my OTS,
07:23I was only observing what he was doing and what was going to come after that.
07:26Because it's such a big learning experience for me as well.
07:29And then really, we got very friendly and we've had like some great chats.
07:33And we had such a good time.
07:35I remember we all stepped out for dinner in Bombay.
07:37It felt so warm and wonderful that we had like a Devra-Brahmastra war kind of coming together.
07:45And it was like, we all had dinner at this restaurant
07:47that was seating only 12 and we were 12 of us.
07:49And it just felt like everyone knew each other from way back.
07:52No, I'm going to tell you one story.
07:54Because this also happened, you know, since we're here,
07:56because this is Devra ka Jigra, Devra into Jigra.
07:59This is some sort of crossover love that we're sharing with each other.
08:03I really want to know, who's, I mean, like who announced the title first?
08:06Jigra or Devra?
08:08Devra.
08:09I think it was Devra.
08:10Then came in Jigra.
08:11Then came in Jigra.
08:12I think we, yeah, I think we put out the unit, Devra already had it.
08:15But that's actually a nice coincidence, sir.
08:17You have an R and R.
08:18Devra and Jigra sound like each other.
08:20And then we were also coming in the same window.
08:22Who would have imagined?
08:23But I'm saying this love started with Tarak very graciously coming to the Brahmastra,
08:28you know, sort of press meet in Hyderabad.
08:33And there was, I remember I was fully pregnant at that time.
08:37And Tarak was like, yeah, yeah, we'll do the event.
08:39But then after that, you'll have to come to my house for dinner.
08:42And we had such a warm evening at that, on that terrace.
08:45I remember eating dinner and like chatting.
08:47And that was the first time that we actually discussed possible baby names.
08:52In front of everybody, I remember.
08:54Ranbir and I were like, if it's a girl, it'll be this.
08:56If it's a boy, it'll be this.
08:57And we were all like, you know, raising our glass.
08:59So was Raha the name discussed that night?
09:02We discussed.
09:03We had names picked out.
09:04And I started praying.
09:05I wish it, I wish it was Raha.
09:07I wish it was Raha.
09:09What a beautiful name.
09:11You know what I find absolutely intriguing about, you know, movie stars?
09:15Specifically, you know, in the brand of cinema that you have done
09:19across decades now, is that there is a kind of fine line
09:24between always projecting movie stardom and yet giving that performance.
09:28And I think you've done that effortlessly always.
09:31That you've not only considered one of the biggest movie stars,
09:34but also an absolutely terrific actor.
09:36Now, do you have to kind of straddle that at times that you know
09:39that you are also an artist?
09:40You're giving your all, your heart, your emotion to that scene.
09:43But there is a certain perception of how you have to be a larger
09:48than life persona that has to always penetrate through celluloid.
09:51Is there always like that tussle within you or is just in your DNA
09:55to just be the way you are and then it comes out all effortless?
09:58I think it's, I think it's very natural for any actor.
10:01You know, the moment you see, the moment you start calculating,
10:05you know, your image versus your want.
10:08I don't think they can ever gel together.
10:10Because I've seen this multiple times in my career.
10:15I've said this many a times that there was this point where
10:19this whole image, this whole want of fans and what they want,
10:26it was very strenuous for me as an actor.
10:30I can imagine.
10:31Yeah, I just couldn't, I just couldn't straight.
10:33I mean, like think straight.
10:35So that's when, you know, Abhay happened, my first child.
10:40And something about that experience of being a father
10:45has made me become naive all over again.
10:50And I think for an actor, what's most important,
10:53what's the most important thing is that how do you become naive?
10:56How do you disown or unknow things?
11:00Because at that moment when you have to perform,
11:03I really think that you don't need to experience it.
11:06Yeah.
11:07Right? You haven't ever experienced it, but how do you deliver it?
11:10For that, I think there needs to be a lot of naiveness in an actor.
11:15And that comes only when you, like, just take things off your brain.
11:21Yeah.
11:22And for me, when I was, like, of course, I was a,
11:25I was struggling for Abhay to, you know, look at me
11:29and call me, you know, papa or call me nana.
11:34So I was, I wanted him to do that.
11:36So that urge in me somewhere just took this whole NTR ka image away from me.
11:43And I said, wow, you know, this whole thing has just gone from my head.
11:47So I said, what if I start trying to incorporate it into my movies?
11:51Right.
11:52So that's when my journey started as an actor.
11:54As an artist.
11:55It's like, Kiyaar, you know, just, just for me, it gets very boring for some,
12:00you know, if I have to just give this a reaction, which I've,
12:03it's, it's, it's just, it's just useless. It's meaningless.
12:06So I started putting my foot down and, you know,
12:09started communicating saying that, no, I really don't think this will work.
12:13Then, you know, we started discussing and then the discussion started happening.
12:17So I opened up as an artist.
12:19Right.
12:20That made it easier for me to understand myself more as an actor.
12:24As an actor.
12:25So every time I felt that, yaar ghar se nikal raha hoon main,
12:28toh mujhe kuch excitement factor chahiye.
12:31Kyunki already do exciting factors hai, Abhay and Bhargav.
12:34Inse bada exciting factor kya ho sakta hai?
12:36Toh wo hai mere movies.
12:38Agar wo excitement nahi mil raha hai, toh ghar mein bethunga main.
12:41I'll just sit at home. I don't need to work.
12:44Always very well.
12:45Alia, taking from where Tara has just mentioned about,
12:48you know, how things moved in his head after the birth of Abhay,
12:51has the birth of Raha and you being a mother, you know, which is,
12:55I can't even imagine the experience, I mean, what like anybody goes through
12:58because having that energy, that maternal energy.
13:01Do you think yourself and have you thought about this?
13:04Has that somewhere impacted you as an artist when you're facing the camera today?
13:09Oh, yeah.
13:10From when, pre-Raha?
13:11Most definitely. Most definitely.
13:14And I'm not just saying this because I'm promoting Jigra, genuinely.
13:17Swear, all my heart.
13:19When I signed Jigra, I think I was in my tigress mode.
13:22I was in my most protective, like, no one come near her mode.
13:28I would have vowed to say that.
13:30No one has saw that trailer.
13:32That was the energy and it was like, that's why I always say,
13:35destiny, luck, life has so much to play in things going a certain way for you.
13:40Like, forget the fate of Jigra, the fact that it came to me also,
13:44I was like, wow, what is the timing of this?
13:46I was feeling this way and it came.
13:48And it had all of those things laced over it.
13:50So, for sure, I don't think I'm the same person.
13:52I don't want to be the same person.
13:54Life just has so much more meaning.
13:56And I feel like actors can get really self-obsessed
13:59if they're always constantly thinking about themselves.
14:01Now, when there's another being in your life,
14:03suddenly it's like, oh, Alia who?
14:05Raha.
14:06Raha, Raha, Raha, Raha, Raha.
14:08And Alia's smile comes in and out.
14:10But the focus is on her.
14:12And that feeling of nurturing and feeling of my mind always being there
14:16is something that will never change now.
14:19And also the other thing is the pressure.
14:21Like, you know, he said that, you know, he abandoned that pressure.
14:25Because it became about, like, if he's feeling the excitement,
14:28he's going to get onto that set.
14:30You know, you're always touted as, like, this best actor of our times in Hindi cinema.
14:34You know, a lot of it is written, a lot of it is expressed,
14:37a lot of it sometimes is a burden to carry.
14:40Is it really?
14:41Is it when you go and face the camera, do you come with that baggage
14:44or are you able to shed it off?
14:46No, I don't think I come with that baggage.
14:48I think definitely when the film is up for release,
14:50you get a bit of pressure.
14:51You get a bit of feeling.
14:52Because then everything comes in line.
14:54But that's more as a movie star and not as an artist.
14:56No, then it's more like, no, report card will come, you know.
14:59But on set and going to set is all about the actor,
15:03like the acting process, being directed by a director, collaborating with the team.
15:07And I just feel very grateful to be in that moment every day, you know.
15:12I love that process of collaborating, especially when, you know,
15:15especially with Vasant, I had a blast.
15:17He's such a wonderful human being.
15:19So, I think about that.
15:21But we spoke about Vasant and I'm going to get back to him.
15:24But I want to speak about your collaboration.
15:26This is your second collaboration with Shiva.
15:28Janata Garaj was a massive, massive hit,
15:31touted as one of your best performances.
15:34And then now you're back with Devaraj.
15:36And I've had, of course, we've all seen the trailer and it's magnificent.
15:40You actually saw more than the trailers.
15:42I've seen more than the trailers, but I'm trying not to reveal any spoilers about anything here.
15:47Because I was, okay, so now you've said it, I'm not saying it.
15:50So, I went to Hyderabad, Anil and me, you know, we went to Apoorva.
15:54Anil and I went to Hyderabad.
15:56We saw about 30 to 45 minutes of the material.
15:59And I was like blown away because it's a totally different world.
16:04Like he's taken us in and I won't say anything for people who haven't seen any material.
16:08But like I just want to say that world is new.
16:11It's totally new.
16:12But there are elements that are so impactful when you see it.
16:16And we'll take a beat and talk about how brilliant Saif is as well.
16:19But like, but when I saw it and every time he faces the camera as, you know, as the character, as Devaraj.
16:27And there is a certain kind of like magic that just happens.
16:32But is that largely, you know, and I felt like I've seen all your work.
16:37And I felt like, but with Shiva, there is something special.
16:41There's something that he taps into you that comes right out.
16:44Like, and I've seen that in Janatha Garage and I saw that again in Devaraj.
16:47What was your experience working with him?
16:49So, we've been friends for quite a long time.
16:51We've been friends for like, I think about 18, 17 years.
16:55So, our journey started with a movie called Brindavanam.
16:57Shiva was predominantly the writer for many super hit movies in Telugu.
17:01In Telugu cinema.
17:02So, we started as friends because he was the writer for Brindavanam.
17:07And that's when I understood there's so much potential in him to become a director.
17:12And then one fine day, he started off with this movie called Mirchi with Prabhas, which was a super duper hit.
17:19And then he went to do Srimantru, which was a super duper hit.
17:22Then he went, then he did Janatha Garage, super hit.
17:25Then he did Bharatanenu, super hit.
17:27But what's so common in all the four movies he's done is that this guy carries a kind of a responsibility towards the society.
17:36You know, he wants to probably give something back to the society with his movies.
17:43So, there is this underlying message and sometimes it's, and he's not too preachy.
17:48You know, when you want to give a message, a message oriented movie as we call it, it tends to become very preachy.
17:55But he's formed, he's just found this art of making this preachy movie into a very commercially viable, exciting, I mean product.
18:06I mean like, it's, it's, that's his trait.
18:08So, when we collaborated for Devra, I just, see in commercial mainstream film, you always have the protagonist, the hero as we call him, comes out for the downtrodden.
18:22Correct.
18:23People who do not have courage, gives them that courage and takes them forward.
18:29But this is such a flip, where the protagonist comes from not the downtrodden, but comes from the most powerful.
18:37Yeah.
18:38And says, yaar bhai, zyada courage bhi theek nahi hai.
18:42Thoda sa fear rehna chahiye humko.
18:43Fear is good, you need to have that.
18:45See, responsibility comes from fear.
18:47Yes.
18:49So, I just love the way he brought this idea that, you know, see, everybody should have a certain amount of fear.
18:57As I believe in it.
18:59Ki agar zyada bhi courage ho gaye hai na sir.
19:01So, there is no stopping humans.
19:03Yeah.
19:04I mean humans, we are humans, we are unstoppable.
19:06We need to have that kind of responsibility within us.
19:10Yeah.
19:11I just love the way he brought about this message.
19:14But with so much padded with fixtures, over the top world.
19:22And that excited me.
19:24And I felt that, you know, this is a movie I would like to do after RRR.
19:29Yes.
19:31You know, because after RRR, you know, you need to have that kind of an excitement.
19:35Correct.
19:36You know, at a plot level it needs to excite you.
19:39And that's how we started off with Devra.
19:42And I don't know, we never thought that we are going to make this movie into two parts.
19:46I said, Shiva, don't stop. Just keep writing.
19:48Because there are so many characters.
19:50You mentioned about Saif.
19:51Yeah.
19:53I mean, Saif sir's character is probably, I don't know, I really got so excited seeing him when I was watching the whole movie.
20:00I just remember that immediately when I saw the movie, when I saw his performance, I went back to Omkara.
20:05Yes, exactly. That's what I thought when I saw it.
20:07Yeah.
20:08He gives you that Omkara vibe.
20:09He gives you that Omkara vibe.
20:10He was outstanding.
20:11And he was outstanding in that movie.
20:12And I don't remember when I actually saw him that fabulous.
20:16And there are so many characters which we just couldn't stop from developing.
20:22Yeah.
20:23So, it kept developing, sir.
20:25Have you already shot part two?
20:26Well, a bit.
20:29A large chunk of it.
20:30A bit.
20:31So, we went on, we went on, we went on and finally we shot and all of a sudden we get an alert from the editor.
20:38He tells us that, you know what, by the time you finished your first half, we still haven't finished the first half.
20:44You've already got a length of five hours.
20:46I was like, what?
20:47What?
20:48Five hours?
20:49Are you kidding me?
20:51Because we just didn't realize, we just fell in love with that movie.
20:56And then we, I'm like, no, you know, we need to, we need to check ourselves.
21:00Stop it.
21:01Let's write our story.
21:02Let's finish our story.
21:03Let's see where, what, how, where we can, you know.
21:07Cut.
21:08Chuck.
21:09Or redevelop.
21:10Let's see.
21:11And that's when I think we, it was a very conscious decision.
21:15Are you a producer on the film too?
21:16Oh, well, NTR Arts.
21:18That's my brother's company.
21:19Kalyan Ram is my brother's company.
21:21So, it's family.
21:22As is like, now her sister producing.
21:24Yeah.
21:25No, but like, I'm curious like whether you were sitting in on the edit process and all through it.
21:28Yes.
21:29Yes.
21:30We, we as a team were in it.
21:32No, I could tell when, when I was there, he was so passionately describing.
21:36No, no, no.
21:37I could tell that he's been part of every beat.
21:39Yeah.
21:40Of Deva Rai.
21:41Like it's now in his, he's like, he's fully settled.
21:45No, but that director and actor collaboration is the most important association for the success of any feature film.
21:52Any motion movie.
21:53It is really about how you can collaborate with the director.
21:56So, back to Vasan.
21:58Great energy.
21:59Great guy.
22:00Such a good person.
22:01Like when I met him, I just fell in love with him.
22:03I was on the sets with Vasan Bala of a film that I've acted in called Bombay Velvet.
22:09Which stars your husband and I was the antagonist of all things.
22:13We won't get into any of that.
22:15But that's the first time I met Vasan.
22:17And just loved, loved everything that he's done right after that.
22:20And I just knew that the moment Alia would hear this film, she would, she would sign this film.
22:26This is the film I knew she would do.
22:27And she is of course very discerning with her choices.
22:29But this is the one film I knew that, you know, you would bite into.
22:33Vasan Bala, what is your, what is what we don't know about him and you?
22:37I think that we are very in sync.
22:39Yeah.
22:40And it started very much from the first, before we even started filming.
22:45I remember I was in New York and we were putting out the announcement of the film.
22:49And I was like, hey, do you want to do like an anime something?
22:54You know, like something to do with this like anime kind of vibe, just to put a really cool visual.
22:59I don't know why I said that.
23:00And then he just sent me the work in progress.
23:02And we were already on it.
23:03Oh wow.
23:04That was just the beginning.
23:06After that, lots of things where it just happened before the shot.
23:09I'm like Vasan, I'm thinking body language.
23:11And he said, yeah, that's it.
23:12He knew what I was going to say, what I was going to do before I was going to do it.
23:16So I think that we're very much in sync.
23:18That I have a lot of respect for his process, but also a lot of fondness for his mind.
23:26And I say, use the word fondness is because I feel it's so open to different avenues.
23:34It's never sort of closed in.
23:38He's so open, but at the same time, his instinct is so strong.
23:41So it's not like if I come with every idea, he's taking every idea.
23:44He's like, no, she'll do this, but she won't do this.
23:46So the process was just, it was very exciting.
23:49It was never just a one note day.
23:51It went through so many different notes.
23:53And even now, going through the edit and the post and all that.
23:56Of course, he's doing all the heavy lifting.
23:58We are sitting and basically just kind of coming and giving thoughts and opinions whenever we have to do it.
24:02But I've always believed that this is a director's medium.
24:05It's a filmmaker's medium.
24:07And if the filmmaker has not given their heart, soul, everything.
24:11And if that voice is not communicating, then something always goes off with the film.
24:16And I really feel like this, even the teaser was cut by Vasant.
24:19The teaser trailer was cut by Vasant because Vasant, nobody else would be able to communicate what you have in your mind.
24:24So yeah, I can go on and on talking about him.
24:27I really have a lot of love for him.
24:29Incredible. I think we have two incredible filmmakers.
24:31And I also have to credit his wife, Prerna.
24:34Yes, Prerna. She's also the editor of the film.
24:36So their combination is also just magical.
24:39And I always wonder how that happens.
24:41Because, you know, like a husband and wife in an edit room.
24:44Like, I mean, if I was editing a film, even with a friend, I might have murdered that person.
24:48But you tell me, sir, who takes over?
24:51Does a director take over the editor or the editor takes over the director?
24:56Because I'm a firm believer of something that films are definitely, yes, they're written.
25:03But they're made on the editor.
25:05But who takes over?
25:07I, according to me, and I have a very strong belief in this.
25:10And I don't know if the other filmmakers will agree with me.
25:12But see, an editor is many things.
25:14An editor is the final stop.
25:17Okay, because all takes come to the editor.
25:19Everything, every shot comes to the editor.
25:21They are the final decision maker.
25:23So their instinct has to be bang on.
25:24They also have to be screenplay writers.
25:26They have to be narrative structurers.
25:28They have to be everything.
25:29I believe a director should not be in an edit room.
25:32I believe very strongly.
25:34And that, of course, very different from Vasant's experience or many other filmmakers.
25:37But he was not in the edit apparently until…
25:39So I don't know exactly how he went about it.
25:41I don't sit in the edit room.
25:42I said show me because I'm too attached to every shot.
25:45I'm attached to each moment.
25:47I will remember a take very differently.
25:49We take 20 takes sometimes.
25:50But how many times is the 20th take used?
25:53I don't know.
25:54How many times?
25:55Like I know in my experience of like now 25 years of, 26 years of directing movies,
26:00I think rarely has the last take been used.
26:02It's always because the actor's instinct is so strong.
26:04Whatever comes, comes in the beginning.
26:06Then you start indulging yourself.
26:08So I believe most directors who get stuck in that edit room will always be just stuck.
26:13And that film will always have issues.
26:15Because they will be there.
26:16So I think the editor should take over.
26:18Like it should be.
26:19And therefore the editor has to have.
26:20So you believe that too?
26:21Yeah.
26:22And that's a good combination then.
26:23The wife's taking over.
26:24The husband, good.
26:25Obviously.
26:26Yeah, of course.
26:27And more power to her if she takes over.
26:28All power to her, yes.
26:29Absolutely.
26:31I can't believe the directors are sitting on every take, every shot.
26:34I'm like dude, you were on that set.
26:36But that again, that's that love.
26:37You know, I think every filmmaker has this.
26:39Every process is different.
26:40Like when you're bidding farewell to a girl, that feeling.
26:43But the feeling comes.
26:44Just like as parents, I say that there will come a time where you have to let go.
26:48You have to.
26:49So just as your film is your baby, you at one point, now it's gone to someone else's hands.
26:53It'll come back to you.
26:54It'll come back to you.
26:55But at that point of time, you need to let go and understand that.
26:58Now preparation.
26:59Contrary to what happens a lot in Hindi cinema.
27:02I know that you are and many other actors, you know, who are mega stars in Telugu cinema also.
27:08Don't entirely believe in prep.
27:10In this word prep.
27:11They don't understand that what are you doing for one month?
27:14What about the magic of the moment?
27:16Isn't that gone?
27:17I'm sure you're a believer of that.
27:19Am I right?
27:20Yes, yes.
27:21True, true, true.
27:22See as I said, too much of prep again does not give you the chance or the avenues to
27:28explore yourself.
27:29You become so rigid.
27:31So I said the less we prep.
27:33I mean like I don't know.
27:35See South India especially, South Indian films have always been very chaotically organized.
27:42Yeah, that's a very nicely put way to put it.
27:45I mean like if there's no chaos, we are not organized.
27:48So we still have that thing that tomorrow we have to go to Prince.
27:52The director, the whole team is still sitting there.
27:55Give us one more hour.
27:56We have to do a little correction in the editing.
27:59So it's that the clock is ticking.
28:01The prints have to be delivered.
28:03And the content has to be delivered.
28:05But you're still doing something with your movie.
28:07You are shooting for a crazy sequence tomorrow.
28:10And everybody is so chill.
28:12We're not prepping at all.
28:14We know what needs to be done.
28:15I think it's the chaos which brings a big, I mean like great amount of organization.
28:21And somewhere I think that makes us more instinctive also, sir.
28:24As artists.
28:25As artists.
28:27And I believe in spot development also.
28:29No matter how much you've researched, you've written so much.
28:33But when you're there, you know, as a director.
28:38When your actor is giving something beyond what you've written.
28:41Are you going to take it or not?
28:42Because this was the experience I had with Hindi cinema also.
28:46Because when I was shooting for War, Ayaan did not know what's going to come.
28:53Because he was trying to bring it out for me.
28:55How is this going to come?
28:57I was like, Ayaan, I'm very instinctive.
28:59It will come.
29:00It will come.
29:01Something or the other will come.
29:02Ayaan was like, something or the other?
29:04He's not used to this something or the other.
29:07He loves prep.
29:08He loves prep.
29:09And I am completely the opposite.
29:12And then Adi sir was there in between.
29:14He was like, it's okay, it's okay.
29:15I get it.
29:16Because he also comes from the same school that I come from.
29:19Because he's my mentor.
29:21And I don't know when I last prepped with any.
29:23I didn't prep with them for Student of the Year.
29:25Like we went and we did some workshop.
29:27No, we did little workshop.
29:28Very little.
29:29We sat and spoke about each other's personal lives.
29:31That was probably because of a new...
29:33I mean, we've done Rocky and Rani.
29:35What prep I did?
29:36No.
29:37We did nothing.
29:38I don't believe in that.
29:39But I know that there are filmmakers,
29:40specifically when very ambitious tentpole films,
29:43you have to kind of put in some kind of work or you feel the need to.
29:46And I haven't made a big action spectacle where you know you have to prep that much.
29:50I've made human emotional love stories which I feel have to be instinctive.
29:54But Alia, are you a firm believer of going with that preparation?
29:58Or are you also much like Tarak, like live in the moment?
30:00No, so I think it really varies.
30:04Because I feel like some films perhaps require,
30:07if you're learning a particular dialect,
30:09if you're learning a dance form,
30:11that kind of prep is necessary for the character.
30:13But if you ask me, my preferred route I always prefer to do,
30:18like in a film like Jigraa, I didn't have any prep.
30:20In fact, even Vasant prefers to not prep.
30:22Because there's no need.
30:23It's kind of straight arrow and you have to come and feel it
30:26and kind of understand the gist of the vibe.
30:28He gave me one brief, just perform the whole film like she has 99.9 temperature.
30:34Ki itna hi dena hai.
30:36Usse aur zyada time nahi kuch aur deni ke liye.
30:38Oh wow!
30:39What a great way of describing.
30:4199.9 temperature.
30:42So that was one thing.
30:44And in fact, I'm also like, I don't even like to do rehearsals.
30:48Very often I'm like, okay because I'll give it.
30:52And either you tell me not to do it and then I won't give it.
30:54I can't bear rehearsals.
30:56I can't.
30:57I just feel like in a digital era, just roll yaar.
31:00Like what rehearsal?
31:02You're not losing magazine, you're not losing film.
31:04It's digital, just roll.
31:06What is the problem?
31:07My thing is tick, tick, tick, just roll it.
31:09Khatam karo.
31:10But again, my other side of my brain tells me is that if I just adapt to each director's process,
31:17then my process will also change with every film.
31:20So I'm open to doing that.
31:21If the director wants me to prep hard, I'll go for it.
31:23If the director says no, I say cool.
31:25My preferred route is obviously less is more.
31:28Jigra is an emotional prison escape drama.
31:34You know, how else should I describe it?
31:37It's emotional, it's a brother-sister bond.
31:39It's a prison escape.
31:40Emotional thriller drama.
31:42Emotional thriller drama.
31:43How would you describe Devra?
31:44I mean apart from the fact that it's crazy in the most amazing way.
31:48Sir, for me, I love drama.
31:51I just, I mean, who doesn't?
31:54So Devra is a humongous, I would say, dramatic experience.
32:01Nice.
32:02And cinematically dramatic.
32:04Cinematically dramatic experience.
32:06Dramatically gigantic.
32:09Dramatic experience.
32:11And ultimately sir, what Devra is, there's so much, there's this vast canvas it has.
32:19But the root emotion of Devra is just about a father and son.
32:26It's that emotion which it boils down to and that is the biggest drama.
32:31And that is exactly what Jigra is.
32:33It's at heart, it's a brother-sister film.
32:35Beautiful.
32:36It's a father-son and that's a brother-sister.
32:39It is exactly that.
32:41It is exactly that in abundance.
32:43Both of you have worked with new energies in these very special movies that we're talking about.
32:49Devra and Jigra.
32:50You worked with Janhvi Kapoor and Saif.
32:52And you worked with Vedang right now.
32:54And I just felt your grandfather and Sridevi have done so many blockbusters.
32:59And I said her first film has to be with you.
33:01I just felt like it has to be, that legacy has to go on.
33:04And how was that experience?
33:05Because Janhvi also…
33:06You tell me sir.
33:07You've seen more than just the trailer.
33:09So you tell me how…
33:10Listen, I can tell you one thing about Janhvi.
33:13Having known her ever since, like for very many years.
33:16This is what she's been dying to do from day one.
33:18She's been dying to do that…
33:20I couldn't see that when she came to the location sir.
33:24And she was hungry.
33:26Yeah.
33:27She was hungry and I think she still is.
33:30She was hungry to give her best.
33:33There was so much of nervousness.
33:35There was a lot of unpredictability in her.
33:38She didn't understand.
33:40There was this fear of dancing.
33:42There was this fear of acting.
33:43The fear of adjusting.
33:45The fear of lines.
33:46Yeah.
33:47There was so much happening within that girl.
33:49And the first shot she came and she gave.
33:55She just killed it.
33:57Yeah.
33:58I mean with so much pressure.
34:00It was a delight seeing her open up on camera.
34:03Yeah.
34:04The lines were so seamless.
34:06I mean she was…
34:07She said her dialogues in Telugu.
34:09Though she didn't dub for the movie in Telugu.
34:11And Shiva was sitting somewhere.
34:13He was looking at the monitor.
34:14And I was actually…
34:15It was my OS and her close up.
34:18And so she started off.
34:20It was like a one and a half page scene between us.
34:22It was a small scene but she had a lot of dialogues.
34:25She started off.
34:26So I gave her the cue.
34:27She gave me back the cue and I gave her the cue.
34:29And we've just finished the whole…
34:31She just said the whole lines of the one and a half pages dialogue in the OS.
34:36And Shiva was like…
34:37Okay, what the hell just happened?
34:39And Shiva was like…
34:40Okay, one second.
34:41Let me check.
34:42So I turned around and I just yelled at Shiva.
34:44Saying there's no check.
34:45It's okay, brother.
34:46Okay, you do it.
34:47She's given a fabulous performance.
34:49Shiva was actually shocked.
34:50He was not believing that she actually performed.
34:52I mean there is this side of her which I think has not been captured.
34:57And with this platform, I think people will see a very different Jhanvi.
35:02And yes, have to agree that she definitely looks like her mother.
35:07Yes.
35:08In many angles.
35:11And to match step with you is not easy.
35:14Oh!
35:15She was giving it.
35:17And she came back after her…
35:20Yes, she was unwell.
35:21She was in hospital.
35:22She was hospitalized for a week or something.
35:24And she had to do this day song right after that.
35:26And then she comes back and does…
35:27Oh, this one.
35:28After that.
35:29The Davoodi song.
35:30Yes, correct.
35:31She's super.
35:32I mean the Utah Outstanding only.
35:33But even I was like quite…
35:34I was like she's really enjoying it.
35:36She's really, really, really enjoying it.
35:38And you worked with Vedang.
35:39Now Vedang had done just one feature film, Archie's.
35:41You have not known him, never met him.
35:43You've not interacted with him.
35:45And now you're playing this protective sister.
35:47You know where you have to really, really give all your heart, emotion, everything to that energy.
35:52What was that like?
35:54Because firstly he had to get over his awe.
35:56Because of course he was acting with you.
35:58And he was like really stressed, you know, for various reasons.
36:01Because there is a, you know, kind of an image you have of an artist of this caliber.
36:05I'm sure you must have made it very easy for him right from the beginning.
36:09I'm a kind soul.
36:10Yes, you are.
36:11No, it was honestly actually again because we didn't have much time.
36:13We had to get into it, sort of take the bull by its horns immediately.
36:16And we had many things to do on day one.
36:18We literally had multiple scenes.
36:21Vedang is fabulous.
36:24He's amazing.
36:25Like I don't think he knows how amazing he is.
36:27Number one I told him when we did a very important scene and he was crying.
36:32I said one good thing is you cry very prettily and that's a good thing for a Hindi film hero.
36:36You look good when you cry.
36:38No, but he's so hardworking.
36:40He's also very instinctive but he also has some sort of prep.
36:44He reminded me a lot of Ranveer Singh and I told him this as well.
36:47Just the way he is also and also his dedication.
36:51That's a huge compliment.
36:52The dedication and the focus to the moment and the shot.
36:55But of course he is his own person.
36:57He sings so beautifully.
37:00Also Vasan and I would discuss this all the time.
37:03He's actually an old soul.
37:05I mean I would think I'm some old soul and all that but actually to quite the contrary Vedang who is younger than me.
37:11He's really like he's 60.
37:14His soul is very sort of deep rooted and sort of centered.
37:19And he's got a lot of depth within him which I think will really take him very far when it comes to all the scenes of drama and stuff.
37:26So you had fun basically.
37:27I had a great time.
37:28And he sings like a dream.
37:29Phulo Ka Taro Ka and the title song of Jigra has been sung by Vedang himself.
37:33Oh my God.
37:34Yeah, he's been sung himself.
37:35And his voice, he doesn't need that auto-tune.
37:38He just sings.
37:39He's like he's just with his heart.
37:41There was this one expression he gave with what little you've shown us in the trailer teaser.
37:47So there was this expression I think he's being beaten up in jail.
37:50And I was like so that's actually, it's really tough.
37:54It's very hard.
37:55Ask me about it because RRR when I was being flogged, I understand how tough it is to actually give an expression to.
38:02Where you're going through pain.
38:03It's too hard.
38:05It's tough and I just saw that and I was like wow.
38:08You know actually when you see that moment, that particular moment where he's being, we can't say where and how that happens but like when he's being hit.
38:16Like there is, you will, it's his best moment.
38:18Beautiful.
38:19Like it's his best moment and it was shot much later but it was like you can feel his pain.
38:24Like it's coming, it's piercing through.
38:26No, actually no day has been an easy day for him.
38:29So whenever like he was shooting his things and we would meet after a couple of days and I was like he said honestly it's been really tough.
38:34Because like he really has given a lot to the film.
38:37Like a lot.
38:38And when I saw the film for the first time I just called to tell him that is that listen I'm so grateful that you know that I got to work with you.
38:44As an artist and see the amount that you give.
38:47Like I feel like that will really amount to something, some energy between the two of us.
38:51Like I feel very, like I feel very, I don't know like it's very like sort of blissful moment to see an actor really give.
38:59Like there's something very innocent and pure about it.
39:01Without making it sound too pseudo intellectual or anything it's just about giving.
39:05Like you know when you give your heart.
39:07So yeah.
39:08So we talked about his singing.
39:10We know that you have done your, of course it wasn't dubbed by you but your lines in Telugu as well in RRR.
39:15Yeah.
39:16Now I think that you could sing us a little tiny bit from.
39:19Oh by the way I want to ask you this.
39:21Oh you know she dubbed for RRR.
39:23She dubbed.
39:24In Telugu.
39:25No.
39:26No she didn't.
39:27I dubbed but it didn't get taken.
39:28Yeah but it didn't make it.
39:29I would say let's make Alia dub for Jigra for Telugu.
39:33Oh yeah we should.
39:34Are you releasing Jigra in Telugu?
39:36We want to.
39:37You should and let her dub for it.
39:38What do you think?
39:39But do you think not that she should dub but maybe should the film be dubbed?
39:42Yes.
39:43You've seen it that's what I want to ask you.
39:44I think emotion works in all languages.
39:46Yeah.
39:47Emotion, drama and.
39:48Because we did get.
39:49Same what I saw yesterday.
39:51I mean like when the trailer released.
39:53I think you should not stop.
39:56Because Rana called me and said the same thing.
39:58Yes you should.
39:59He called me and said I hope you're dubbing the film in Telugu.
40:01And yes and a lot of them, everybody love her.
40:05Yeah.
40:06And I think you should let her explode into the south also.
40:11Biting my nails.
40:12I think you should.
40:13Biting her nails in stress.
40:14So let's digress and distract and sing.
40:17I think you should.
40:18I think you should sing.
40:19I think you should.
40:20Chuttamale.
40:21Yeah.
40:22Chuttamale.
40:23Chuttamale is a blockbuster song from Devaraj.
40:25And I know that you've been singing it a little bit.
40:28I've been hearing you humming it.
40:29That's why.
40:30Are you rehearsing Alia?
40:33Trying to get the words right.
40:34Tuntari.
40:35Tuntari chuppu.
40:38Chuttamale chutte stande.
40:41Haan chutte stande.
40:43Chuttamale chutte stande.
40:45Ho ararare.
40:47Chuttamale chutte stande.
40:50Tuntari chuppu.
40:52Ureke unnado ka seppu.
40:56Wow.
40:57I told you she should dub.
40:59You should let her dub.
41:00If I've done anything wrong I'm sorry.
41:02I literally just learnt the song yesterday.
41:04But I've been listening to the song on repeat.
41:06But it's a great song.
41:07But it's still tough to like get the pronunciations right.
41:10And she was spot on.
41:11We have both.
41:12Jack.
41:13We have well done Alia.
41:14Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap.
41:15Well done.
41:16This is quite a singing brother sister duo I have to say.
41:19Doonon ka sakte hain bhai bhen.
41:21Which is fantastic.
41:22Alright.
41:23We have Devaraj releasing at a theatre near you on the 27th of September.
41:27We have Jigraa releasing at a theatre near you on the 11th of October.
41:31Two films, two weeks apart.
41:33I'm so happy to be producing Jigraa, to be presenting for Hindi Devaraj.
41:39And I just want to end this by asking you.
41:42I know that there is massive expectation.
41:44Look at the buzz online.
41:45You have the highest pre-sales in North America already.
41:47The buzz is just going crazy.
41:49The advances opened a month before to like shattering records.
41:53Obviously that's a huge indication of the opening.
41:56We all know that.
41:57But what is that one thing that you think an audience doesn't know they're going to get?
42:02Oh nice.
42:03Good question.
42:04Oh there.
42:05You know the story obviously.
42:06Oh I know.
42:07Oh yeah you know.
42:08And I was like, yesterday we were talking about it when we were watching the trailer.
42:11And he started saying things louder.
42:12I was like shhh.
42:13You're giving away.
42:14One person should not know because there are some parts of the movie which are better hidden.
42:20Because it's the experience you need to go through when you watch Devaraj.
42:24And I really, really, really want, I'm vouching for my, the last 40 minutes especially.
42:33And I'm vouching for that last 10 minutes of Devaraj.
42:37The emotional ride the audiences are going to go through.
42:43I can't wait.
42:44I'm just waiting for that.
42:45When I heard the narration, it's that last, not even 10, the last 5 minutes.
42:52And I'm like, I went like that.
42:54I was like what?
42:55Like literally it goes like that.
42:57And like I can't wait for the audience to experience that.
43:00I really want them to experience that.
43:01Yeah, yeah, that's going to be magical.
43:02I ask you the same.
43:03Too much suspense and intrigue and all that.
43:06Too exciting.
43:07I ask you the same.
43:08What is the one thing that you think an audience is not expecting or from whatever they may
43:12have seen in our communication so far?
43:15Oh.
43:17I know that they've seen the emotion.
43:19Yeah I think I was going to say the emotion.
43:21But that they've seen.
43:22They've seen.
43:23Can I complete that for you?
43:25I think it's the audacity.
43:27Yeah, that's exactly.
43:28It's an audacious film.
43:30I can't wait.
43:31I can't wait for these two releases.
43:34I'm so grateful that we were able to do this collab.
43:37Yeah.
43:38It was so nice.
43:39It was fun.
43:40This literally, like you voted, this beautiful crossover between Devaraj and Jigra.
43:45And we can't wait for you to see Devaraj and we can't wait for you to see Jigra.
43:50Because I've had the privilege of seeing both.
43:52We will probably celebrate Jigra's release with Devaraj's super success.
43:56Yes.
43:57And then we'll continue that success with Jigra.
43:59Yes, yes.
44:00So let it be a full month, one month celebration.
44:03We're partying in October.
44:04Yes, we are.
44:05We are.
44:06All throughout October we are partying.
44:07Two, two, two.
44:08Fingers crossed.
44:11Thank you Tara.
44:12Thank you Alia.
44:13Thank you for being in conversation.
44:14Thank you Farhan.
44:15For everyone watching this.
44:16Devaraj and Jigra both are releasing very very soon.
44:18Devaraj releases at a theatre near you on the 27th of September worldwide.
44:22Jigra releases at a theatre near you 11th October worldwide.