Director Pradeep R.K. Chaudhary marks his directorial debuted with Pyaar Hai Toh Hai. It also marks the acting debut of Karan Hariharan, son of famous singer Hariharan released. The film that released last Friday received a lukewarm response. In a freewheeling chat with The Free Press Jour
While updating about his journey starting with the bigwigs, he elaborates, “I have been working with Director Sanjay Leela Bhansali for the past 16 years. It all started with Devdas. I was an assistant director and by the time the film was nearing completion I became the chief. There were so many ADs working on film. You climb the ladder slowly and gradually. This man himself recognizes your talent. I also did Black with him.”
“Working with Shah Rukh Khan was an amazing experience. He is larger than life kind of a hero, very humble and very friendly. It was a big set. So we didn’t have much time to interact. I remember during that scene when he says, “I’ll drink till death. It was a kotha scene. I was part of this on the sets,” he adds.
Sharing further on his experience working with Amitabh Bachchan in Black, he gushes,”Amitji is like god. It was a different film altogether and thus a very different experience altogether compared to Devdas. For me, working with Amitji, Rani, Aishwarya (Rai Bachchan) and Shah Rukh has been a very enriching experience.
“I remember I was there with Sanjay sir and Amit ji in their vanity van and they were discussing a scene. There is a flashback mirror scene where you can witness her mother with her younger girl. Sanjay sir was discussing this scene with Amitjee and they got stuck. That’s where you learn how such a big director and a big actor discuss the minutest situation, here you learn so much. I was there for an hour or so,” he states.
When asked if his debut film Pyaar Hai Toh Hai has that touch of SLB, he reveals, “This film has a touch of Sanjay sir’s style of film making because I have also made it with great passion. The budget was very small so you will not see much of his style. However, whatever I have learned from him, I have tried to incorporate it in my film. But I have told the story in my way which has been shot in a real location in Rishikesh. The challenge was to put the story in the mainstream with a newcomer.”
