“I have no problems taking risks” - Deepak Tijori 
By IndiaFM News Bureau, July 4, 2005 - 05:53 IST
Lady luck refuses to shine on Deepak Tijori ever since he has turned a filmmaker. Though offbeat, both his films Oops! and Khamosh sank at the box-office. After two independent projects Deepak directs 'Fareb' starring the sensational Shetty sisters together for the first time and the intense Manoj Bajpai. In a one-on-one with IndiaFM, Deepak divulges into what he calls his 'first conventional' Bollywood film.
Your previous films have been experimental, what kind of film is Fareb?
Oops! and Khamosh were experimental films, however Fareb isn't. It's a very conventional Bollywood film. The casting is interesting. I have Manoj and the Shetty sisters in my film but the two are not playing sisters.
What is the storyline of Fareb?
The story is about an ordinary man who is happily married. Then Shamita enters his life as a corporate client and everything goes haywire. There is a lot of chaos and confusion. The story line is a common one but I think what matters most is the presentation of the film and we have worked really hard on that. The story is good and we have presented it a new way so I hope it works well with the audience.
How satisfied are you with the final product of this film?
I'm very happy with the outcome of the movie. The producers were new, so there was a little tension about whether they would put in 100% towards the making of the film. But at the end of the day there were no hassles. The actors fit well in their roles and the film is looking good.
What genre can you slot this movie in?
Fareb is an emotional film that goes on to take the shape of a thriller. Khamosh, I would say was a hardcore thriller but Fareb has a lot of emotional impact. It's primarily a family movie.
The two sisters Shetty sisters have been cast together for the first time, how did the whole thing happen?
Casting Shilpa and Shamita together wasn't intentional. It was merely that they both seemed to match the roles we had perfectly. When Shamita first heard the script she rejected the role but after we did a second narration for her, we managed to convince her. Shamita's look went very well with what we were looking for. We wanted a corporate woman and we found that in her. I think we made the right decision by casting the two sisters with Manoj.
You started with offbeat films like Oops!, hopes of different cinema were attached with you, but now you are making commercial film like Fareb, why?
Eventually the filmmaker runs into this situation because of the box- office. When I make my own films, like Oops! and Khamosh I have no problems taking risks, but when the producers are new they don't want to take too many risks. Though, I'm glad that the movie shaped up as the producers wanted it and as the audience would like it.
How happy were you doing this kind of movie?
This is definitely not a completely offbeat movie, based on a new theme. But it's a new way of looking at films that belong to the same genre. Fareb may not introduce a new concept to Bollywood but it's a challenge for me because as a filmmaker I feel the need to continually experiment on myself. I don't want to tie myself to experimental films; I also want to do commercial Bollywood movies. Infact, my next movie is a romantic comedy, which is a jump for me. Lets see, I'm working on different things. I'll have to wait and watch. Maybe something will strike gold.
What do you think about the working style of the Shetty sisters?
Both of the sisters were very professional. But Shilpa obviously has immense experience behind her as she has been in the profession for a longer period. Shilpa didn't need as much pampering as Shamita needed, though there's nothing wrong with that. It was very interesting to watch the two of them work together. When they were on the sets they considered each other as actors and not sisters. They were very strict about this and never took the situation for granted.
What are your forthcoming projects?
After Fareb, I'm doing a Romantic comedy for Oracle Entertainment. We are in the casting stage and planning to commence shooting in July.
Do you have any special song or item number in Fareb?
We don't really have an item number, but we've done a number in which the two sisters are seen together.
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