Siddharth Anand speaks for the first time on Anjaana Anjaani
Director Siddharth Anand says his new film Anjaana Anjaani is inspired by the television series Friends.
"I remember when I watched Friends, I wanted to meet and know every character. That's how I want audiences to feel about Ranbir and Priyanka in Anjaana Anjaani. When Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge came out, you wanted to feel and touch Raj and Simran. That's how I want audiences to feel about Ranbir and Priyanka. By God's grace, everyone in the team has given his or her best to this film."
Anjaana Anjaani has been scripted by Advaita Kala. "She wrote a chick novel called Almost Single. I asked her to develop a story by my wife Mamta. Ranbir and Priyanka had no reference points in any film for their performance. Ranbir is such a big star; Priyanka has just won the National award. These are characters going through extraordinary not easily relatable circumstances. It's about a�few days that two strangers spend together."
Siddharth shot in the Central Park's skating rink. "We shot in iconic New York. We had the skating rink shut down for our shoot for three days. Then we shot with Ranbir and Priyanka in NY's Café Lalo where Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks has met in When Harry Met Sally."
About the talked-about bridge sequence. "We needed to take over a bridge completely for 3-4 days. Because of 26/11 we couldn't get the necessary permission. We finally got the bridge in Kuala Lampur. They made it as easy for us as shooting in Goregaon. Thanks to our producer Sajid Nadiadwala we could shoot anywhere I wanted."
The whole film was shoot in live sound. "All my films are shot in live sound. We are releasing on 1 October. Maybe because I'm as peace-loving as Gandhiji."
Contrary to belief and expectation, Ranbir Kapoor's singing debut won't be part of the film's CD. Explains Siddharth, "Ranbir has sung a 90 secondse track. But it is part of a comic scene. So he will only be singing in the film. We needed Ranbir's character, not Ranbir to sing. So those who want to watch him sing will have to wait for the film."
Sighs Siddharth, "I did my first film Salaam Namaste in 2005. If I'm doing another romantic film, it better be even cooler and more contemporary. Anjaana Anjaani is the riskiest film ever. I've experimented with�styles and performances. If audiences believe in the couple, they'll come back repeatedly to watch them. If they don't, they'll reject them completely. It's so character-driven. If their performances don't work, the film doesn't."
Courtesy: Bollywood Hungama
