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The recently released action multi-starrer “Tashan” has received unpleasant reviews, however, debutant director Vijay Krishna Acharya is satisfied with the film and says he made it particularly for audiences in the vicinity.

“I crafted the film for the ticket-paying audience at the grassroots. That community feeling, when an audience sits down to watch a film together, is incomparable. My characters are neither dignified nor righteous. But there was a core of innocence to them,” Acharya informed IANS.

“In the film, my attempt was to try to do mainstream the way I’d like to see it, to express the full-bloodedness of the masala movie. Very honestly, my action in ‘Tashan’ was a little orgiastic,” he added. The film features Kareena Kapoor, Akshay Kumar, Saif Ali Khan and Anil Kapoor.

“Tashan” is Acharya’s first feature film, but maneuvering the camera is not new to the director who hails from Kanpur. He directed TV soaps like “Just Mohabbat” and “Jassi Jaissi… Koi Nahin”.

Mentioning on the critics’ effect, he added: “Sometimes the makebelief of mainstream appears a little plastic to me. ‘Tashan’ is not for the faint-hearted.”

Interview:

Q: Why did Kareena Kapoor’s character need that sculpted physique?

A: To be totally frank, it was a challenge that Kareena took on herself. She maybe took up the challenge of doing a Kate Moss. When I told her about the role, I informed her there was a lot of action. A woman performing crackerjack action is a big turn-on. Kareena acted someone who can have men for breakfast. Her look was courtesy the designer Akki Nirula. The look I had in mind for Kareena was Uma Thurman in “Kill Bill”.

Q: “Tashan” has comic book violence.

A: Yeah, I didn’t want the killings to be icky. But my seven-year-old daughter was traumatized when she watched “Tashan”. I think she’s more interested in Walt Disney. Her father is not.

Q: Have you been knowingly staying clear of the media?

A: I was. I didn’t want to be a conscious part of the promotional campaign and say all those general stuffs.

Q: Because of your silence people didn’t make out what “Tashan” was about?

A: It’s early days to actually know how the film will carry out. We didn’t want it to come on a Friday and be out in a week. We wanted to underplay the film as much as possible. We just showed the songs in the promos and let the audience come and watch and get sucked in. I hoped “Tashan” would be a clutter-breaker. I saw the film at Chandan on Friday. I was justified by the audience response.

Q: The method is here more tampered than pampered?

A: I couldn’t do anything strait-jacketed. Good or bad, I did what I know best. Doing “Tashan” I discovered a lot about myself. I’m a huge film buff. If it wasn’t for Martin Scorcese, Shyam Benegal and Govind Nihalani, I wouldn’t be here. I remember cycling down in my hometown Kanpur two times in two days for eight kilometres to watch “Ardh Satya”. I loved its simplicity at a time when everyone was doing potboilers. So unless you try to break the mould, you’d never know. In “Tashan”, my attempt was to try to do mainstream the way I’d like to see it, to express the full-bloodedness of the masala film. Very frankly my action in “Tashan” was a little orgiastic. I kept asking Adi (Aditya Chopra) if we were pushing the envelope too far. He kept assuring me I was doing the exact thing.

Q: Why do you think critics are in search of sense in the film?

A: Sometimes the makebelief of the mainstream seems a little plastic to me. What happens to my characters in “Tashan” is unexpected. But I wanted them to be part of a believable world. “Tashan” is not for the faint-hearted.

Q: Where did all the violence hail from?

A: I think it is part of all of us. We live in brutal times. I’ve lived in Kanpur and Delhi. North India used to be more violent. No more so. Today, when I see all the factional violence in Mumbai, I’m horrified. It wasn’t so 10 years ago.

Q: Akshay Kumar got the point better than the other actors in “Tashan”?

A: He hasn’t had the time to see the movie yet. He realizes the small town attitude. I made the film for the ticket-paying audience at the grassroots. That community feeling, when an audience sits down to watch a film together, is beyond compare. My characters are neither splendid nor righteous. But there was a core of innocence to them.

Q: As a first time director, were you anxious by the overwhelming cast in “Tashan”?

A: Not exactly. My background - done theatre in college in Delhi, had assisted Kundan Shah for two years, etc. - boosted my confidence. Television where I directed “Just Mohabbat” and “Jassi Jaissi… Koi Nahin” made me economically sound. Then I wrote “Dhoom”, “Dhoom 2″ and “Guru”. Spending time on Mani Rathnam’s sets made me positive about stars.

Q: Has the nonappearance of “Tashan” from multiplexes made a difference?

A: I’m not too sure of what the intricacies of the situation are. But by a happy chance when we saw the concluding print of “Tashan” I had stated it would be ideal for single theatres. But I’m sure it’ll open in multiplexes shortly.

Q: What next?

A: I’m going to be working with Mani sir once more. I wrote the dialogues in “Guru” for Mani sir. I haven’t had this kind of connectivity with anyone. I couldn’t have made “Tashan” if I hadn’t been involved with “Guru”. I also adore the works of Quentin Tarantino, but I’m a huge fan of Woody Allen and Patrice Leconte. I’ve a couple of ideas for what I long to direct next.

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Tags: Kareena Kapoor, Tashan, Vijay Krishna Acharya