RAJA MENON tells JYOTHI VENKATESH when he cornered him in Goa where his film was screened in the Film India World Wide section
What is your film Barah Aana all about?
My film Barah Aana takes a look at the globalised urban life in India and its turbulence. Though India is changing day by day, it is sad that we have still not bothered to see the view point of the drivers, watchmen, the working class and how globalization ahs affected them. I am not being judgmental. I do not set out to say whether that point of view is right or wrong. I shot the film in 38 days with private funding.
What message do you drive home through your film?
The message that I set out to drive home through my film is that life is either three fourth full in a vessel of water or one fourth empty as you see it, because money is the barometer for material success today, whether you like it or not, though on the surface all of us arte the same.
Can you elucidate your point?
Look here. A rich guy may desire to have a child because he does not have one and yearns to have one whereas a guy who has eight kids will desire to have a lot of money. What I set out to tell through my film is the fact that if you make a lot of money, it does not necessarily mean that you are happy.
How did you zero in on Naseeruddin Shah?
I wanted to cast Naseer as the driver in my film because I needed an actor par excellence for that part who can convey a lot with just his expressions. A lot of time and efforts went into the casting for my film. Since I knew Naseer during my initial theatre days, it was not difficult for me to get him to listen to the script. He was hooked on to it when he heard the narration
What made you cast Vijay Raaz as the watchman?
Would you believe it, I had thought of Vijay Raaz when the script was being written but I could not get to talk to him because he was shooting for Tandoori Love in Switzerland at that point of time. Ironically it was quite easy to narrate him the subject when he came down to Mumbai. Vijay Raaz is the most professional actor I have ever seen who used to report on the sets one hour before the crew turned up. What is interesting is that Naseer with whom I play tennis every day suggested that I cast Vijay Raaz after I had spoken to Vijay Raaz. Naseer told me that when he saw his watchman wearing a blanket, he automatically thought of Vijay Raaz for the role of the watchman in Barah Aana.
What are your future projects?
I am right now writing two scripts. One of them is a political satire, while the other, a human story, is set in Kashmir. Though it has the backdrop of Kashmir, what sets apart the subject is that it does not have terrorism as the back drop.
When are you planning to release your film?
I have had a few trials for friends from Bollywood. Most of them, including Aamir Khan have loved the film. I am planning to release it by February. Aamir has even promised to help me with the release of the film.
