Girish Girija Joshi, the debutant director of children's film Zor Lagaa Ke Haiya, was an assistant with Karan Johar's Dharma Productions, and Rajkumar Santoshi.
He left a high-flying software career in the US with Siemens, after a family tragedy made him come back to India. And that possibly made the urge to be a filmmaker in him stronger.
The years of struggle have been numerous for Girish, but life has been good as compared to the others who've assisted big directors, he feels. We chat with him about working with Mithun Chakraborty, Riya Sen and Mahesh Manjrekar in his first film, which has a narration by none other than Amitabh Bachchan. Excerpts:
Buzz18.com: What's the story of Zor Lagaa Ke Haiya and where did you get the idea from?
Girish Girija Joshi: I'd read an article in The Indian Express about illegal cutting of a couple of 100-year-old trees – that's where the idea struck me. Zor Lagaa Ke… is a children's film, a comedy of a 'noise with a cause' genre written and directed by me. I have always felt a child needs his or her own space, a corner where the parents won't disturb them. The kids in my film have a tree-house where they play during the day.
During the night, a homeless man (Mithun Chakraborty) stays in it. When the kids come to know about it, they hate him and call him Ravana because of his unkept look. But soon, a healthy relationship forms between them. Now this tree is about to be cut by a builder in the area. How the children take it up as a cause for the environment forms the story.
Buzz18.com: Was it difficult to convince Mithun Chakraborty for the role?
Girish Girija Joshi: In the first script narration itself, Mithunda said he'd do it. The only issue he had was with the beard – it needed 45 minutes of make-up and it weighed 2 kg. Plus, his skin is sensitive. He would only sip juice the whole day, and have dinner after the beard had been removed. His role as Ramkrishna Paramhansa (in Bengali) was the only other film in which he sported a beard. In the first half of the film, his role is antagonistic – then a change of heart happens.
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Buzz18.com: How was it working with Mithun?
Girish Girija Joshi: Mithunda was very forthcoming. The kids loved him. When we were shooting in Pune, even in the hotel, he wore the same costume throughout. He really got into the character, which has been living on the streets for 10–15 years. He's a committed actor. On the first day of shooting, 2,000 people turned up to have a look at him. Mithunda's an ex-student of Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), and he went there after 20 years. Actress Ranjeeta who stays in Pune also went with him.
Buzz18.com: What did you learn from him while directing him?
Girish Girija Joshi: It was a revelation that Mithun Chakraborty is a school of dubbing, too – if you know he's dubbing somewhere, just hang around! He's also very humble as an actor and always prepared for the shot.
Buzz18.com: How did you get Amitabh Bachchan to be the narrator for your film?
Girish Girija Joshi: Well, a rapport had been established with him while shooting Khakee, for which I'd assisted Rajkumar Santoshi, and Amitji was more than willing to do it for a princely sum of Re 0! People will take the message on environment more seriously with his voice. He's been a sweetheart with us. I'm lucky I have Amitji's voice and Mithunda's acting!
Buzz18.com: How do you compare the two great actors?
Girish Girija Joshi: Mithunda is spontaneous. He quickly gets into character and it's over in a couple of takes. He has a tremendous sense of screenplay. In Khakee, Amitji got on the set on time and had no complaints. His performance is a mix of spontaneity and a methodical approach.
Buzz18.com: You have an item song by Riya Sen in the film.
Girish Girija Joshi: Riya has never done a children's film before. She plays a construction labourer. She's wearing the typical Maharashtrian 'navvaari' sari. I told her, 'You'll be covered from head to toe' (laughs). She said, 'Let's do it'!
Buzz18.com: You worked with Karan Johar's Dharma Productions. He makes romantic, emotional films. Why didn't you choose that path?
Girish Girija Joshi: I've graduated from that production house (Dharma Productions). I'd assisted on Kaal. Zor Lagaa Ke… is like a home-production (for KJo) in that sense. He's not involved in the project, but he likes the concept. I have also assisted Rajkumar Santoshi on The Legend of Bhagat Singh apart from Khakee. His is another great school of filmmaking.
Buzz18.com: So, which school do you prefer?
Girish Girija Joshi: It's like comparing apples to oranges. Karan Johar pays more attention to the look, costumes and music. And I love his dialogues. While Santoshi really knows how to handle his actors.
Buzz18.com: What do you think are the film's prospects at the box office?
Girish Girija Joshi: I'm very confident about the film in the multiplexes, as the target audience is children. We've had special screenings for organisations like Akanksha. Plus, the kids have done a fabulous job. More than 350 child actors were auditioned for this role. It was like a big party and picnic for the chosen five. We had three workshops for them. The kids were smart – they knew everyone's dialogues and not just their own. They added freshness to the product.
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Buzz18.com: So, are all the protagonists children?
Girish Girija Joshi: There are four middle-class children, and one labourer's child played by Ashwin Chitale of Shwaas fame. Ashwin's character is poor but dreams of becoming an architect someday. Designing the tree-house is fulfillment of his dream in part.
Buzz18.com: Did you want it to be a children's film?
Girish Girija Joshi: Yeah. I can't have a Salman or Shah Rukh in a subject like this – there wouldn't be any drama in it then. It's much better with an innocent child. But we have made it entertaining.
Buzz18.com: Who are the other people in the cast?
Girish Girija Joshi: Seema Biswas plays Ashwin's mother. Gulshan Grover is the builder who wants to cut the tree for expansion. Mahesh Manjrekar is the contractor, while Raj Zutshi is the client. Their roles are pivotal, but it's not a commercial film. I have so much gratitude towards these actors for doing my film.
Buzz18.com: And what's in store in the future for you?
Girish Girija Joshi: Right now, I'm waiting for the release of Zor Lagaa Ke Haiya. I'm doing one more project with its producers, Gemini Films. I'm off children after this. In fact, I don't want to have kids (laughs). I can't control them!
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