Talking with Subhash K Jha, director David Dhawan reflects on 20 years of his comedy Maine Pyar Kyun KiyaDavid one of your funniest comedies Maine Pyar Kyun Kiya Turns 20 on July 15?
Is it really twenty years? It seems like just the other day. Salman, Sushmita, Katrina, Arshad we had great fun shooting this one. With Salman I had already done several films, like Judwaa, Biwi No 1 and Mujhse Shaadi Karogi. In this one, we wanted to try something different.
Like what?
Different art direction, different sets, different characters—a little naughtier than usual—different vibes… Salman and I felt we needed to address our humour to a new generation.
This was one of Katrina Kaif’s earliest films?
She was so eager to learn. Sushmita Sen who played the other lead, made Katrina feel very comfortable. Sushmita was very supportive.
Why do you think this one didn’t succeed as much as your other collaborations with Salman?
Just before release, that whole controversy over the Salman tapes erupted. Look at the timing! It wasn’t only Salman who was impacted. The entire team suffered.
Was the title Maine Pyaar Kyun Kiya suggested by Salman?
We both thought it was nice playful recollection of Salman’s debut in Maine Pyar Kiya. No great thought went behind the title. My cinema is not about serious thoughts. It is all fun and entertainment. And I believe Maine Pyaar Kyun Kiya is one of my most enjoyable comedies, clean healthy family film.
Wasn’t Maine Pyaar Kyun Kiya inspired by Gene Saks’ 1969 comedy Cactus Flower?
Just the seed of the plot. Then we took off on our own trip. Shooting with Salman was always fun. His comic timing is underrated.
