‘Directors and content are the new stars’

Ranbir Kapoor talks about turning 50 per cent producer for Jagga Jasoos, says the idea is about more than just money.

Ranbir Kapoor and director Anurag Basu as reported earlier, have formed a company called Picture Shuru Productions for their next film Jagga Jasoos — a move Ranbir says might become a pattern, for reasons beyond monetary benefits. He says, “The intention for Picture Shuru productions was just that Basu and I wanted to partner with each other. I always maintained that I don’t want to turn producer but if I have to, I would rather do it on a 50-50 basis. Basu and I are 50-50 per cent producers. As a director he is making the film, I am just the actor. He must own the film for posterity, for his family. That way, he also has a better incentive to make a good film. I would like to do it with every director of mine. I don’t want to be a 100 per cent producer or ‘sign’ a director. During Jagga Jasoos, I told Basu ‘let us make a film on a detective’ and he came up with the story. So it’s ‘our’ process. I don’t think it is a monetary decision.”

Ranbir is aware that this is a rather rare proposition, but expects it to catch up very soon. The actor says, “I feel it’s better as the director deserves it. Anyway, the star system in our industry is slowly diminishing. It had come forth very strongly. I think that directors and content are the new ‘stars’.”

The team is expected to fly to Morocco for a long schedule next month and release the film later this year.