The cast and makers of Daayra gathered at a suburban five-star hotel on Friday afternoon (September 11) to launch its title track, Sach Ka Daayra. Penned by the legendary Gulzar and crooned by B Praak, it is composed by Amit Trivedi. Filmmaker Meghna Gulzar, her father Gulzar and the film’s lead actors Kareena Kapoor Khan and Prithviraj Sukumaran interacted with one another. The Free Press Journal was also present at the event.
Bebo, the queen of expressions
Kareena is known for her expressions. However, she began by confessing that she is nervous to share the podium with Gulzar. “I am actually nervous for the first time. Gulzar saab ke saath ek manch pe rehna is a very big moment for any actor. We’ve watched his films since childhood. My mother-in-law Sharmila ji (Tagore) had the opportunity to work with him in so many films. And actually yes, that circle is complete because her daughter-in-law got to work with his (Gulzar’s) daughter.”
She added, “Woh career hi kya hai jaismei ek Gulzar saab ka likha huwa gaana na ho.” And the audience erupted into a thunderous applause.
“All my blessings to all of you,” Gulzar chimed in.
When asked if Meghna kept her expressions in a daayra, Kareena stated, “Well, Meghna is a task master. Everyone knows that. She knows how to control everyone. Her personality is such that she’s loving, kind but on set she still has that command. I’ve worked with many directors in 26 years, but with MeghnaI always had to be in check. When I was coming to shoot, I always told my team, ‘We have to reach half an hour before call time because it’s Meghna and I don’t want her to get upset about anything!’ I feel like a newcomer. My character Ajuni is very restrained. Yes, I am very expressive and I gave a hundred expressions during the trailer launch because in the film I didn’t get a chance so I did it during that event!”
She added, “I play a police officer and there was a table in front of me as I had to interview the other actors. There was a table in front of me so the camera was always on my face but my legs were always shaking. I was like, ‘Woh Bebo wala expression kab aayega?’ But she was like, ‘No!’ I think it has brought a different dimension to my personality. I can’t wait for the film to release on September 18. I want the audience to give me a birthday present because my birthday is on the 21st.”
At the helm of serious things
Meghna was asked if she hopes to raise questions or give answers with the story of Daayra, she replied, “If we had answers then we would have given them. But we are seeking the answers. Stories are such that we don’t have solutions. That doesn’t mean we stop looking for answers. It is important to raise questions about issues that bother us.”
When asked is it difficult to bring the harsh realities of life to the screen? Meghna stated, “Yes. Because we are fictionalising a story based on reality and it is possible only up to a limit. Hume apne daayre mein rehna chahiye usko fictionalise karte huwe. Mushkil tab hoti hai jab aap koi dukhdaayak incident ko likhne ki koshish karte hai. One has to be very conscious not to exploit or cannibalise that pain.”
What left Gulzar saab speechless
Sharing an interesting tidbit, Gulzar revealed that when he saw the first cut of the film he was so moved that he took a while to give words to his expressions. The wordsmith also ensured to add, “Meghna doesn’t allow anyone to even sniff her script. Once it is ready, I do have a look. I put my inputs in writing throughout it.” His daughter then stated that exclamation marks by him mean he’s impressed and that she and her team then counted how many of them were there.
Slo mo ka king kaun?
Prithviraj’s fans know that his introduction scenes in films almost always have a slo mo. However, in this film, he doesn’t have one. He also revealed that he was preparing for Rajamouli’s Varanasi at the same time and despite Meghna’s instructions that she didn’t want a typical muscular cop, as the film progressed, so did his physique. “My films don’t fit into the typical template. I am a narcissist so I enjoy doing all that. There was a running joke between me and Meghna, ‘Where’s the slow motion shot?’ With Daayra, especially for Kareena and myself, it was important for us to understand that we not only play characters but also play perspectives. We are instruments to make either side of the argument valid. Every word had to be said with absolute conviction.”
Daayra hits the silver screens on September 18.
