‘Films Are My Bread, Butter And Jam’

‘This
is
where
I
grew
up.
The
only
business
I
know
is
cinema.’

Film
producer
and
politician

Khushboo
Sundar
is
ecstatic
with
the
blockbuster
success
of
her
Tamil
film,

Aranmanai
4.

The
fourth
instalment
in
the
popular
franchise
is
helmed
by
her
husband,
Sundar
C,
who
also
acted
in
it
alongside
Tamannaah
Bhatia
and
Raashii
Khanna.

Of
her
many
career
roles,
Khushboo
is
known
for
acting
in
close
to
200
films
in
her
over
three
decade-long
journey.

After
mostly
keeping
away
from
the
camera
after
her
marriage,
she
is
now
looking
forward
to
renewing
her
relationship
with
acting.

“I
have
been
getting
offers,
but
I
am
waiting
for
something
very,
very,
interesting
to
come
my
way,”
Khushboo
tells

Mayur
Sanap/Rediff.com.

At
the

press
conference
of

Aranmanai
4,
you
said
that
your
production
house
has
a
90
per
cent
success
rate.
What’s
the
secret
sauce
there?

Our
process
is
slightly
different.

We
don’t
start
thinking
who’s
going
to
star
in
the
film
and
when
do
we
start
and
when
do
we
finish.

When
we
have
the
content
ready
we
decide
which
actor
suits
the
role
and
we
go
by
that.

Secondly,
even
when
we
are
doing
the
production,
we
always
work
on
the
budget
as
we
need
to
finish
it
on
time.

As
a
producer,
the
most
important
thing
to
see
profits
is
to
make
sure
that
your
work
goes
according
to
the
plan.

Your
planning
is
everything.

My
husband
is
a
master
in
that
and
that
is
why
we
see
the
success
rate.

How
do
you
gauge
the
pulse
of
the
audience
in
terms
of
what
do
they
want
to
see?

You
just
need
to
understand
and
be
updated
with
the
trend,
what
is
happening
and
what
are
the
likes
and
dislikes
of
people.

Learn
from
the
films
which
haven’t
done
well,
learn
from
the
films
which
have
done
well.

You
just
need
to
keep
yourself
updated
with
the
current
happenings
and
the
choice
of
the
audience
going
to
theatres.

While
working
with
your
husband,
Sundar
C,
is
it
tough
to
play
dual
role
of
producer
and
wife?

It’s
very
clear.
I
have
200
per
cent
trust
in
my
husband.
Because
for
us,
it’s
finally
the
family
which
needs
to
come
together.

Film

aaj
banegi,
kal
nahi
banegi,
aaj
chalegi,
kal
nahi
chalegi.
It’s
important
that
we
trust
each
other
as
a
couple.

He’s
very
clear
in
what
he’s
doing;
it
does
not
affect
our
relationship
as
husband
and
wife.

Mainly
because
we
don’t
take
work
home.
There
have
been
times
when
he
probably
is
upset
over
something
and
he
comes
home,
I
sense
that.
And
I
know
that
where
I
have
to
stop.

I
don’t
think
he’s
ever
given
me
a
chance
to
question
him
as
to
why
it’s
so
much
money
spent
or
what
he’s
doing.

It’s
been
a
while
since
you
acted
in
a
film,
and
now
that
your
daughters
are
grown
up,
would
you
consider
a
comeback?

(Laughs)
I
had
never
stopped
acting.
But
yes,
I
did
reduce
the
number
of
films
I
was
doing
before.

Next
year,
we’ll
be
celebrating
the
silver
jubilee
of
our
marriage.
In
25
years,
I’ve
hardly
done
10
films.

My
priorities
were
my
family.
Now
my
girls
do
tell
me
that
I
should
go
back
and
do
films,
especially
now
with
the
kind
of
films
that
are
being
made
with
a
lot
of
women
centric
subjects
and
the
platform
of
OTT
what
we
have.

But
I’m
extremely
choosy
in
what
I
want
to
do.

I
wouldn’t
say
a
comeback,
but
if
I
have
to
do
something,
it
has
to
leave
a
mark.
I
just
don’t
want
to
get
lost
in
the
crowd,
or
just
be
part
of
it
because
everybody
is
part
of
it.

I
have
been
getting
offers,
but
I
am
waiting
for
something
very,
very,
interesting
to
come
my
way.

Is
there
any
political
figure
that
you
would
like
to
portray
in
films?

No,
definitely
not.
I
am
not
somebody
who
would
love
to
do
a
biopic.

I
am
that
confetti
throwing
and
coin
throwing
audience
in
the
crowd.
I
love
to
sit
and
whistle
and
clap,
that
is
how
I
am.

I
know
you
have
you
do
films
where
it
challenges
your
sensibilities,
but
then
I
also
would
love
to
do
films
which
are
just
about
entertainment.

Drawing
from
your
own
experiences,
what
are
the
similarities
between
the
film
industry
and
politics?

Both
worlds
are
as
different
as
chalk
and
cheese.

Here
you
portray
a
character
which
is
larger
than
life,
you
imagine,
it’s
created
by
someone;
whereas
in
politics
you
just
have
to
be
yourself.
You
can’t
act.
If
you
do,
people
will
catch
it.

Films
have
been
my
bread,
butter
and
jam.
This
is
where
I
grew
up.
I
don’t
know
any
other
business
and
the
only
business
I
know
is
cinema.

I
have
a
special
connection
with
films
and
I
have
stayed
in
touch
with
very
few
people
from
Mumbai
like
Anil
Kapoorji,
Boneyji
(Kapoor),
Govinda,
Madhur
Bhandarkar
and
so
many
others.

It’s
very
different
from
the
kind
of
people
you
meet
in
politics.
But
I
always
say
that
politics
has
nothing
to
do
with
which
political
party
you
belong;
you
remain
friends.

I
have
some
wonderful
friends
in
the
Congress,
DMK
and
AIADMK.

You
started
your
acting
journey
in
Hindi
cinema
before
finding
your
home
in
Chennai.
Do
you
miss
speaking
in
Hindi?

I
don’t
miss
speaking
in
Hindi

per
se.

I
speak
Urdu
at
home.
Even
my
children
speak
Urdu;
my
mom
and
my
entire
family
speaks
Urdu.

Of
course,
at
my
husband’s
place
we
speak
English
and
Tamil.

What
are
your
views
on
the
current
landscape
of
Hindi
cinema?

The
kind
of
films
that
are
being
made
now
in
Hindi
is
brilliant.
They
had
lost
the
track
in
between.
but
now
it’s
fantastic.

I
loved

Crew,
I
loved
Karan
Johar’s
last
film
(Rocky
Aur
Rani
Kii
Prem
Kahaani).
I
watched
that
one
in
cinemas.

I
love
Rajkumar
Hirani’s
films.
I
love
the
grandeur
that
Sanjay
Leela
Bhansali
gives.

Yes,
you
do
have
some
films
which
don’t
make
sense
at
all,
but
that’s
everywhere.