‘Producers were ready to pay me obscene amounts of money because after Rangeela, they thought if they took A R Rahman and Ahmed Khan, the film would be a hit.’
‘There were no imported cars then, no mobile phones or online shopping, no house to run or any big kharcha (spending). I was rocking!’
Key Points
- ‘Shahid and I were childhood friends. I was 12 and he was seven. Even after I got married and had kids, he would be at my place 20 hours out of 24.’
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Ahmed Khan‘s journey in Bollywood has been anything but ordinary.
From being offered a lead role opposite Preity Zinta by Shekhar Kapur to winning a Filmfare Award for Rangeela, the choreographer-director has seen the industry from many angles.
In the second part of this candid conversation with Rediff Senior Contributor Roshmila Bhattacharya, Ahmed looks back on his childhood memories from the sets of Mr India, his long friendship with Shahid Kapoor, the making of Paatshaala, and the life-changing moments when he narrowly escaped two major tragedies.
“Shekhar Kapur had offered me Tara Rum Pum Pum opposite Preity Zinta. But Rangeela happened, and I thought when I had a full-fledged career as a choreographer, why did I need to get into acting?”
Part 1 of the Interview: Ahmed Khan: ‘Akshay Kumar-Suniel Shetty Did Disturb Us But…’
‘I was treated like a star’
What do you remember of your acting days, in particular Mr India?
I was just a child then, very innocent.
Blown by the fact that hum actors ke beech baithkar khana khate the (we would eat with the actors).
Anil Kapoor would ask me about my father, who was a renowned jockey, and along with my uncles, owned many horses.
(Laughs) He would ask my father for tips aur woh mere liye bahut badi baat thi (and that was a big deal for me).
You never thought of making a career in acting?
Shekhar Kapur had offered me Tara Rum Pum Pum opposite Preity Zinta.
But Rangeela happened, and I thought when I had a full-fledged career as a choreographer, why did I need to get into acting?
Tara Rum Pum Pum didn’t happen while Rangeela fetched me a Filmfare Award for Best Choreography.
Any regrets?
None. I was treated like a star on the sets. Producers were ready to pay me obscene amounts of money because after Rangeela they thought if they took A R Rahman and Ahmed Khan, the film would be a hit.
There were no imported cars then, no mobile phones or online shopping, no house to run or any big kharcha (spending).
I was rocking!
‘Yai Re, which won me the Filmfare Award, was the easiest to choreograph’
Of all the iconic Rangeela songs, which one challenged you as a choreographer?
It was actually the Spirit of Rangeela dance piece.
Rahman had given a lot of string sections and Ram Gopal Varma and he wanted Urmila (Matondkar) to dance alone with Jaggu Dada (Jackie Shroff) watching from a distance while I was thinking of a batch of 20 girls with her.
I shot it thrice and it made me confident that if you keep trying, you can do the impossible.
In comparison, Yai Re, which won me the Filmfare Award, was the easiest to choreograph.
Shahid Kapoor and you go back a long way…
Shahid and I were childhood friends. I was 12 and he was seven.
Even after I got married and had kids, he would be at my place 20 hours out of 24.
After he got married and became a dad, both of us got busy with work, and we lost touch.
He’s a brilliant actor. I always wanted him to be a superstar which is why when I was approached to choreograph his songs, I didn’t want him dancing with 10 dancers.
I wanted 200 dancers, and wanted to mount the song lavishly, and shoot it in Egypt or the US.
I gave Shahid Kapoor so many hit songs.
‘This was the kind of friendship Shahid and I shared’
Your first home production in 2010 was Paatshaala with Shahid. How did it happen?
When my wife Shaira and I decided to produce a film, I planned a big school film with Nana Patekar, Akshay Kumar, Vidya Balan, Kareena Kapor, Vivek Oberoi and Shahid Kapoor doing guest appearances and playing the teachers.
I approached them and they agreed.
Then, one day, I walked in the house to see Shaira and Shahid engaged in a serious discussion.
When I enquired, Shahid told me, ‘You are starting a production company and you only want me to work in your film for four days?’
I corrected him, saying not four, I wanted him for just two days.
Rather than make him happy, this seemed to upset him more.
‘What do you want?’ I finally asked, and he told me to take just Nana and him.
‘Take 12 days from me and I’ll do all the other roles; this will give the film gravitas and it won’t look like you are pulling favours from friends,’ he reasoned.
That was the kind of friendship we shared.
When I called Akshay and Vivek to convey that I didn’t want dates from him, Vivek, who was happening then, protested saying, ‘Let us do something for you.’
I refused, pointing out that it would be cheating.
Paatshaala ended up as a small-budget, message-oriented film which brought in good numbers and benefitted all of us.
After that, you never thought of making another film with Shahid?
I took a three-year break from films, did 100-odd ads for big brands like Pepsi, Coke, an automobile company… all plum contracts.
When I returned to production, Bhushan (Kumar, T-Series head honcho) told me Sunny Leone wanted to make a different film.
We met and Ek Paheli Leela happened.
After that, I returned to direction with Baaghi 2, Baaghi 3 and Heropanti 2 and there was no looking back.
‘I thought Kriti Sanon would go the Zeenat Aman way’
Did you expect Heropanti 2‘s leading lady, Kriti Sanon, to win a National Award some day?
No, I never imagined she could transform so drastically. I thought she would go the Zeenat Aman way.
But today, like Katrina Kaif, she can pull off any role. It’s all hard work, and she’s not afraid to experiment.
I guess because she had nothing to lose, there was nothing to be afraid of.
But Tiger Shroff, who was poised for big things after Baaghi 2, seems to have lost his way.
Baaghi 2 was so big that Baaghi 3 rolled immediately.
Given the reactions to the trailer, we had expected another blockbuster. But something bigger was coming, and that was the pandemic. Our expected Rs 36 crore (Rs 360 million) opening shrunk by 50 per cent.
Then the theatres shut. There were no releases for the next year-and-a-half.
I only saw posters of Tiger, Shraddha (Kapoor) and Riteish (Deshmukh) with guns in their hands even though we had put down ours.
Well, at least it’s a story I can tell in my lifetime.
‘My next production is the desi Expendables‘
So your next film will be with your son Azaan?
My next directorial, yes.
My next production is the desi Expendables. It’s called Baap, with four retro stars, Sunny Deol, Sanjay Dutt, Mithun Chakraborty and Jackie Shroff.
It’s helmed by a new director and has hard-core action.
The film is ready and should release around September-October.
Before we wind up, I want to think back on your two brushes with death. The first one was when you escaped the tsunami in Bali…
Yeah, the place I had rented out opened out to the beach. It was the first house to be swept away completely. It just disappeared!
Thankfully, I was to take the flight out that day, so I was saved.
You were also shooting in New York, below the World Trade Centre, on September 11, 2001, when the two hijacked planes flew into the Twin Towers.
We had just packed up and were heading to the airport when the terror attacks happened.
I was the last to leave. Had we waited another two hours, it might have been a different story.
God has made me a billi, a cat with nine lives.
Do these providential escapes make you feel like God’s chosen one?
No, I see it as God’s plans, something happened, but I was not supposed to be part of it.
My episode had ended, and I was not a part of the next one. Period.
Photographs curated by Manisha Kotian/Rediff
