Aanand L. Rai returns with his next directorial, Atrangi Re, premiering on Disney+ Hotstar from December 24. Starring Dhanush, Sara Ali Khan and Akshay Kumar, the romantic drama is a story that begins bitterly, with a forced marriage involved, only to gradually nurture into something deeper. While the songs, composed by AR Rahman with lyrics from Irshad Kamil, are already hitting the right chords, the curiosity over the age gap between the leads continues to make heads turn. Director Rai and leading actor Sara Ali Khan address this issue, while also talking about working on the film together and learning from their failures.
Excerpts:
Anupama Chopra (AC): I'd like to address the elephant in the room: the age difference, in what seems to be a love triangle. Aanand, you've asked earlier to have patience, to not jump to conclusions and judge the story before watching the film, which is absolutely right. But what can you tell us that'll make it easier and more palatable for us to see this lovely 26-year-old girl with two men – one, who is 12 years older and the other, who is 28 years older?
Aanand L. Rai (ALR): With all my previous work, whether they've been successes or failures, I've been very true to my scripts. So, I'd only ask my audience to trust that. I know why Sara, Dhanush and Akshay sir are there. There is nothing gimmicky or strategic about it. It's the story of my film, which called all these actors on board. I can't disclose more than that.
AC: You've mentioned earlier that it's very important for you to connect with your actors. You had told me that years before you actually worked with Shah Rukh Khan in Zero, you knew that you would connect. Was it the same with Sara?
ALR: Yes. When I met her for the first time during a screening, I had a seed of Atrangi Re in my mind. When I met her, I knew I would finally approach her with the project once the draft was ready.
AC: So, Rinku was written with her in mind?
ALR: To some extent, yes.
AC: Why is only Sara, Rinku?
ALR: Rinku was all about the restlessness and the innocence. It's the kind of combination which is very rare to me. That was something that came naturally to Sara. We can't really generate or work on something like that, it's very natural. I wanted to have an actor who was holding on to these two things, and unknowingly so. And it worked out well for me.
AC: Sara, is that who you are in life?
SAK: I think so. And I didn't fully know that till I started shooting for Aanand ji, especially because of the timing of the film. We shot it in 2020, which was probably the worst year of my life. It was a hard year for all of us. My first unsuccessful film also came at the beginning of 2020 and from thereon, it got hectic. The only positive thing that happened to me that year were the various schedules of this film. It literally kept me going. One day, when we were shooting in Madurai, I said something to him [Rai], and he said, 'This is who Rinku is. You trivialize and say things in humour, but I know you feel hurt.' And I was like, 'We can't tell people I have a heart!' But I do, and it's a soft one. I think what Aanand ji has portrayed in Rinku, which made me understand Sara a little better, is often times, we break bottles and running away because internally, you are a soft, scared, innocent person. I do think that is me. A lot of times, whether it's the tone or frequency of my laughter, or the fact that I'm unabashed about so many things, I've come to realize that it is probably because I am vulnerable, scared and insecure. That's a real emotion, which I try to mask with confidence.
AC: I've heard a lot of artists tell me that failure teaches you more than success. Is that true? What did the two of you learn or take away from it?
ALR: For me, it's the same. It wasn't a breakdown for me. I enjoyed the process a lot. I had a fabulous journey and the time we spent together, the time with Khan saab [Shah Rukh Khan] was brilliant. I learnt during the process too, not just post Zero. The process needs to be beautiful too. It can't be a job for me, which Zero never was. It was a whole heart for me. It didn't beat at the right time, which I can't do much about, but its heart was at the right place. I'm back again with another story with its heart at the right place. Now, let's see [how it goes].
SAK: Before Kedarnath, I had no expectations [from myself]. After Kedarnath and Simmba, people started having expectations and took me on a pedestal, almost overnight. And then, after Love Aaj Kal, I was taken off that pedestal, again overnight. I learnt two things from here: the first one was that success and failure would keep coming but on the inside, you have to be motivated, driven and keep learning. More often than that, you have to keep unlearning and re-inventing yourself. Another thing that I learnt was how much I want my mom, my media and my audiences to to love me. I got it after Kedarnath and Simmba without even knowing I wanted it. So, I wasn't starving [for it]. But after Love Aaj Kal, I was starving. And I was very privileged to be given this opportunity by Aanand ji, because I'm not hungry anymore. I want validation. I want mom to be like, 'I loved you.' I want my audience to love me. But as an actor, as a creative person, I am already so thankful and satiated just having played this character.
AC: Tell me about working with Dhanush, who's such a brilliant actor. Was a part of you almost taking notes when you did scenes with him?
SAK: Every part of me. The vibe on the set was of so much love. Dhanush sir was so helpful. We don't really speak in the same language. I'm more comfortable with Hindi on set, while he is more comfortable with English. But I would still discuss scenes with him. That's when I realized the power of your eyes and emotions because he would sometimes read my lines with me in English, and I would see what he was doing [with his eyes and expressions]. That made me realize what Aanand ji used to say – 'Himanshu [Sharma] has written great dialogues, the teacher has given you a great Bihari dialect but I don't care about any of these things. It's all in your eyes.' That was something beautiful to watch, learn and develop every day on set.