‘Aamir Khan heard Batwara 1947 script 25-30 times’: Rajkumar Santoshi reveals | Exclusive
Sunny Deol, meanwhile, expressed pride in his son’s growth as an actor and praised Aamir’s commitment as a producer, calling the film a result of collective faith and dedication.
Preity Zinta on what prompted you to do Batwara 1947?
Well, a couple of things. I love working with Sunny Deol. I was always looking forward to working with Raj ji (Rajkumar Santoshi). I’ve never worked with him before, so it was on my wish list. I always wanted to do a period film. And besides all that, I really liked the story. I really liked that in the darkest times, there’s a ray of hope. There’s a beautiful story about a family, actually. Everyone looks at it as a story about two countries; but to me, it’s a story about a family. And I loved the approach it had. So I just thought, it’s something very different, and I wanted to do it.
Rajkumar Santoshi on casting Karan Deol
Once the script was ready, Sunny and I joined hands. For 14-15 years, we had been looking for the right producer, someone who would have the same faith in the subject as we did. Aamir Khan knew that I was trying to make the film with Sunny. One day, he asked me what’s happening with the film and later told me that he’ll produce the film. Then Aamir and Sunny met one day and agreed to make the film happen.
While casting of Shabana Azmi for Maai and Preity Zinta for Hamida was being finalized, I had Karan Deol at the back of my mind. Sunny never told me to cast him. One day, I told Sunny that I wanted to cast Karan in the son’s role. He told me to speak to Karan. Then I spoke to Karan. I used to interact with Karan when I’d go to their office. The reason behind casting Karan was that I saw a certain restlessness and angst in him that both his films weren’t received well. I liked that the energy in him to prove himself. The character also needed that anger. So, I told Aamir about casting Karan. He was also okay with it as it was a fresh casting. Karan has done better than what I expected from him.
Sunny Deol on Karan Deol
The response to the trailer has been very good. Karan is my son and I’ve directed him in his debut film. I see that he has improved a lot. I’m proud of him. I hope that he gets back the confidence he wants.
Rajkumar Santoshi on Aamir Khan as a producer
Aamir has not only put in his money into the film, but also showed total involvement throughout the making of the film. He must have heard the script narration 25-30 times. I think he was very well-versed with the story. He’d sometimes remind me about the way I had envisioned certain things initially. He’d sit in the edit and see the performances. He’d suggest better takes. He thought Karan’s dubbing was not good in some parts. So, he came for dubbing till Karan perfected it. Aamir makes sure that no stone is left unturned to make a good film. He loves and respects the audiences a lot. He wants to make sure that the film reaches the audience in the right manner. I’m happy and grateful to Aamir for producing this film.
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Sunny Deol on Aamir Khan
I think he’s a great producer. When he came to me, I felt so nice, because when an actor is producing a film with another actor in the lead role, there’s no insecurity. It’s the most beautiful thing about it. Like Raj said, if a producer shows that much involvement then only you can make a good film.