Actor Imran Khan, who working with veteran director Vishal Bhardwaj for the first time in ‘Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola’, said that he was very surprised by Vishal Bhardwaj’s directing style.
“I was very surprised with his directing style. Since he is an experienced director, I was under the impression that he would sit on every single detail of my performance. But the kind of freedom he gave me, no other director has ever done,” said Imran Khan to PTI.
“Vishal would give me lot of material during the rehearsals, like things to read and watch. They were basically tools to create my character but from the day we arrived on the sets, he told me 'Go ahead, I have given all the tools to you, they are in your pocket, you decide which one to use and how to use',” he added.
The actor said that the freedom given by Vishal Bhardwaj was scary and empowering at the same time.
“That kind of freedom increases your responsibility, puts a lot of pressure on you and is very scary but at the same time it is very empowering. I had a sense of accomplishment at the end of the day. Really, no director has given me that kind of confidence that Vishal did,” he said.
Imran Khan said that another big challenge he faced in the movie was acting alongside a veteran actor like Pankaj Kapoor.
“Pankajji is the sweetest, kindest person you would ever meet but as an actor he is completely different. When the cameras roll, he turns into a powerhouse, a volcano and then you have to face that. You have to ensure that your part is not falling apart in front of him,” he concluded.
‘Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola’ is a drama comedy set in a rustic village of Haryana. The movie is about Harry Mandola (Pankaj Kapur), a wealthy industrialist who loves his drink, his daughter Bijlee (Anushka Sharma) and the unusual bond they both share with Harry’s man Friday, Matru (Imran Khan).
The movie also stars Arya Babbar, who plays Anushka Sharma’s finance Baadal, the son of a powerful politician Chaudhari Devi played by Shabana Azmi.
The movie is set to release on January 11, 2013.