Salman Khan backing Notebook put pressure on Nitin Kakkar? Here’s what the director has to say

With Notebook up for release, there’s been a very strong buzz about the film’s music, its trailer, the dialogue promos that have all been garnering a fabulous response. Yes, that the film is backed by Salman Khan is a huge draw too for the movie buffs. But more than anything else, Notebook is being talked about for the captivating glimpses that we have been getting about the film’s story, the endearing chemistry between the debutant pair – Zaheer Iqbal and Pranutan Bahl – as well as their adorable moments with the bunch of kids and also the stunning portrayal of the Valley. All this helmed by the film’s National Award-winning director Nitin Kakkar. The filmmaker’s own journey is no less exciting. From being a tuition teacher for almost six years to having made four films (including 2012’s Filmistaan that won him the National Award) and with no formal filmmaking training to boast of – the director has come a long way. Down-to-earth and realistic-in-approach, Kakkar is delightfully candid about his soon-to-release film Notebook, as well as his own journey as we catch up with him for an exclusive chat in this two-part interview.

The trailer and the songs of Notebook have been very warmly accepted?

Yes, the response has been overwhelming. Zaheer (Iqbal) and Pranutan (Bahl) – their chemistry, their screen presence, really is amazing and I’m glad that people have caught on to that.

Has the film shaped up like you had envisioned it?

I think we have surpassed what we had envisioned. There were some things which I had thought about in a certain way and to be able to translate that as it is on screen, I think I’ve been fortunate enough to do that. There’s a lot of love that’s gone in the making of this film, so I am glad that all that love has translated on screen. Somehow, everything has fallen into place with Notebook, almost like this was meant to be. It is a very satisfying feeling and a luxury for filmmakers.

How is it different to make a film for a bigger, more established banner?

It’s a huge relief! I’ve always struggled with the fact that I have to first make a good film then market it. Here with SKF (Salman Khan Films) backing it inspite of it being an unconventional love story, I just had to work on making a good film. The rest was all taken care of.

Was there any interference from Salman Khan as a producer?

So here is a producer who’s been in the industry at the top of the game for a really long time. I can get into an ego space thinking I know it all and I know it best or I can just reach out and use Salman’s experiences to enhance the film. So, interference is a perception and suggestions can be looked as interference or team work. I look at it as team work. I am so close to the film, there are chances that I may lose my perspective. So it’s always good to have someone to get a feedback from, especially when they are also working towards a common interest.

People were associating it with Nicholas Sparks’ bestseller The Notebook?

Yes, I heard that too. But our film is an official adaptation of the Thai film The Teacher’s Diary. Our film is set in Kashmir toh zameen aasman ka farak hai dono mein. The two cultures are so different, even the conflicts of the characters are different. It’s not a remake and we have only used the basic idea of that film. But since the core was from there, we had to say that it’s an official adaptation.

As a director how was it working with two rank newcomers as leads?

When you are working with newcomers, you don’t know what to expect. You cannot set a thought procedure, because everyone is different. It’s like working with kids, where you will first have to know them better and then make them understand things better. So, it was a process of understanding their positives and negatives. As a director my job was to help them become the best versions of themselves on screen and it was enjoyable.

Tell us more about Pranutan and Zaheer…

Both of them are very sorted and level-headed as individuals. Pranutan was doing Law and Zaheer was doing business, so there is a certain kind of a secure space that they come from. It’s not about financial security, but about being secure and confident of who they are. When there is no insecure space, you tend to perform better, and that’s what happened with these two. There’s a craving to learn, yet a confidence that helps them execute and implement it.

Zaheer’s personality seemed more suited for an action role than a romantic one, but you’ve changed that perception!

Yes, the challenge for both – Zaheer and me – was in presenting him in a way which would not seem the easiest and the most obvious thing to do. I could see him play Kabir and he has done it very convincingly. So, we have got him to explore a facet not many would have thought of doing and he has done it so well that filmmakers who approach him next will most likely consider him for an action, but also a romantic film.

And Pranutan… What about her convinced you to cast her as Firdaus?

I was not happy with the kind of auditions that were sent to me. But I came across Pranutan’s photographs, they were unusual and there was something that clicked. She came across as intelligent and confident. It was only later after she was finalised that I learnt of her famous lineage (late veteran Nutan’s grand-daughter and Mohnish Bahl’s daughter) and it all made sense to me.

A debut film can make or break the career of a newcomer. Do you feel that pressure?

Yes, there’s a lot of pressure with newcomers, because there’s a lot of responsibility attached to it. You are like a mentor to them at this stage. So, you are shaping them in a certain way. And you hope that whatever you have told them and the way you have directed them enhances them not only as actors, but also as people. So in the days to come you not only have great performers, but also great human-beings.

You are a National Award-winning director, do you feel buckled under the expectations that people have from you and your films now?  

I look at the expectations as motivation rather than as pressure.

What do awards mean to you?

The awards are an indication that you are doing good work, they are kind of a stamp saying, ki jo tum soch rahe ho woh sahi hai. When you set out to make a film, there are chances that it’ll turn out to be a film that no one sees. But the fact that people still meet me and tell me that they loved Filmistaan helps reiterate and gives me the confidence that I’m on the right path.

(Read Part 2 out tomorrow where Nitin Kakkar talks all about cinema, his own cinematic journey and also reveals why he can never be a ‘pretentious filmmaker’)