Siddharth Anand speaks with Subhash K Jha about the fabulous Preity Zinta and Saif Ali Khan film Salaam Namaste, which released in 2005.
How do you look back on twenty years of Salaam Namaste?
I’m a big critic of my own films. So with that in mind, I truly feel Salaam Namaste is a film that’s aged well. And this one is a tough genre to keep up with time.
Yes, this one has aged well?
The credit for this should go to the entire team. Adi (producer Aditya Chopra) for believing in a young kid in me who was a reluctant director. He saw a director in me before I did. Gave me freedom and the budget.
Both Saif and Preity remain your buddies to this day?
Deep inside I think Saif is still the same person. Fun and naughty. Saif, being the big star he was, showed faith and came on board. Same for Preity. And the whole crew from Sunil Patel, Sharmista, Mamta, Surily, Rishi, Ahmed Khan… everyone added to the film. I only channelised all their talent.
Has Salaam Namaste been your most emotionally satisfying film so far?
I think emotionally Fighter has been my most sensitive and strongest. So I think I’ve been quite consistent where the emotional quotient is concerned. And that comes from the person I am.
Anything you would like to change in Salaam Namaste?
The climax. I would not change the tone to slapstick. And stay with the situational ‘Friends’ type of humour and emotion. The rest of the film has so much spontaneity and aesthetic that is tough to replicate.
Salaam Namaste belongs to your gentler pre-Pathaan phase?
The magic just happened. I’m still very gentle. There’s a lot of sensitivity in Pathaan. It wouldn’t have worked the way it did if it didn’t carry the emotion so well. Whether it’s Pathaan and Nandini’s track or even Jim’s back story. One feel it’s the action that carries Pathaan. But it’s actually what you feel emotionally that engages you through the film too.
