Both Amitabh ji and Rishi ji took ten minutes to sign 102 Not Out, says Umesh Shukla

Mumbai: Director Umesh Shukla is known to have given exuberant films like ‘OMG: Oh My God!’ ‘All is Well’ and more. The actor turned director talks to us about his forthcoming film starring Amitabh Bachchan and Rishi Kapoor.

Not many know Director Umesh Shukla started his filmy career as an actor. Speaking on that he says, “Yes, I got bored of acting. I did not prefer sitting for long hours in the makeup van wearing make it was a great torture. Also since I was associated with theatre, so slowly and gradually I felt directing was much more challenging as we had to live all the character r portrayed in the story. It feels as if the entire film is your baby conceived and thus you have the duty of delivering it to the best of your ability. Therefore between acting and direction I chose to direct films and I a enjoying the same.”

Was Umesh intimidated by Amitabh Bachchan on sets? He tells, “No not at all. Because he is such a brilliant actor and a good human being that he made me comfortable made me before the shoot .He never imposed like that he is Amitabh Bachchan, even during the reading he was always the character Dattatray Jagjeeven Vaghariya in front of me.”

"The thought of casting both of them together when we were doing this play and the character of 102 was being written I was thinking like in our film. ‘OMG’ had an universal concept and in this film (102 Not Out) also I felt like the universal touch. Unique selling point was we see a father of 75 years and the kid is 65. We have never seen such a father–son relationship who is 102 who wishes to make the record of living for most of years, like the oldest Chinese man who always prefers being surrounded by positive aspect of life and shun negativity. This character is similar to this Chinese man who also lived for most of his years of life here. He decides to send his son to who is 65 years old, to old age home….I narrated him the hook and within ten minutes Amitabh ji told me the hook line is enough as narration,” Umesh says.

On Rishi’s temper, Umesh says, “He is such a dear friend. I am acquainted to Rishi ji from my first film ‘All is Well’ that I did with him in which he played Abhishek Bachchan’s son. People say he has temper. He gets angry only if you are unable to answer his questions as he needs all logical answers …Rishi is my friend now. He would call me up even when he had gone on a holiday to London.”

So was it easy or hard to rope in Rishi ji? Umesh tells,”It wasn’t hard to rope in Rishi ji. He also heard the hook line and like Amitabh ji, within ten minutes he too agreed to be the part of this film.”

Rishi ji’s favorite film is ‘Prem Rog’ for me. However, ‘Amaar Akbar Anthony’ and ‘Kabhi Kabhi’ are my all time favourites of Amitabh Bachchan and Rishi ji working together.

His future is film is on marital affairs and the other one is a satire,” I am working on two scripts. The subject of one script is based on marital issues and the second one is a satire like Oh My God. After the release only, I will sit down and complete the script. After completing the script I will decide whether to start with marital issues or the satire …I am have yet not tilted the script. Marital issues script is loosely based on real incidents as well.

On making the Sequel to OMG, he adds,"Yes, why not? Not only I but all those who are associated with this film are keen on sequel to e made. Sirf paison ke liye karne keliye nahi karna hai (we will not produce sequel of OMG just to make money). However, unless we have acrid ready which has to e better than the earlier OMG we will not begin it."

"So once we are ready with a script for sequel we will launch the sequel," Umesh smiles and concludes.