'Both my parents would be a part of Kill Dill'

By Subhash K Jha

Shaadi over, Shaad Ali is gearing up to direct Kill Dill while his other dream project, a bio-pic on his legendary grandmother Lakshmi Sahgal is in the scripting process.

Research on the Sahgal script is taking longer than expected.

`I am treating my grandmother's bio-pic as a family film. Both my parents would be actively involved in the entire process of making that film, ` informs Shaad a week after his wedding.

The heartening news is that Shaad's father Muzaffar Ali would be actively involved with Kill Dill. We learn that Shaad has been bouncing the script off his father regularly and incorporating a lot of the senior Ali's humour into it.

Says Shaad, `Not many people know this. But my father posseses a wicked sense of the comic. In fact we share a common sense of humour. My father is a very funny guy. I've also got my mother (Subhasini Ali Sahgal) into Kill Dill. There's an inherent screenplay writer and an editor in her. I am making use of those qualities in her. `

Of late Shaad has been bonding extensively with both his parents in what he calls, a manoeuvre to make up for his growing-up years when he was in boarding school.

Reluctant to speak about his lavish wedding Shaad says shyly, `It's not as if I was keeping it a secret. I just didn't broadcast it. We wanted to keep it quiet because of my grandmother (Lakshmi Sahgal)'s death and also because there was an accident in my wife Aarti's family. And it wasn't lavish as such. It was just family and close friends. But now I've started work on my film. `

The song recordings for Kill Dill have started. The combination of Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy and Gulzar who did the music for Shaad's last film Jhoom Baraabar Jhoom, are back together again.

Says Shaad, `It's about time I began work again. Now I'm in a happy and a peaceful mindspace. `

We can tell you this much about Kill Dill. It won't be as wedded to the outdoors as Shaad's earlier films Saathiya, Bunty Aur Babli and Jhoom Baraabar Jhoom.

Says Shaad, `The film is not very loction-centric. I am still tweaking the script. I'd be able to start my film once Ranveer Singh has finished shooting Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Ram Leela and Yashraj's Gunday. `

About Yashraj giving Ranveer's dates to Gunday before Shaad's Kill Dill Shaad rationalizes, `Gunday was ready to go on the floors. They had the songs ready. I need Ranveer to be shooting only my film when we go on the floors. I'll take 6-7 months to do my music. I do take that much time over my music scores. `

Kill Dill would be shot towards the last one-third of 2013. Shaad may shoot in his domain Uttar Pradesh, for no other reason this time except because he is comfortable shooting in that area.

`When I am in Mumbai I miss the North Indian winters the most, ` he sighs. `This is the happiest phase in my life. And I hope it shows in the quality of work I do in Kill Dill. Although I've spent so many years living in Mumbai I am still that small-town boy from Kanpur awe-stuck and finding my bearings in Mumbai. `

Saathiya was Shaad's tribute to Mumbai. Kill Dill would again by a homage to Mumai City even if it is shot in UP.