The usually reclusive Vidhu Vinod Chopra on letting his work speak for itself

Not just 'shut up!' Part 2

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Not just 'shut up!' Part 2

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What are you directing next?

You have been accused of being a bad paymaster. Comment.
I don't know who is saying this... let's go back to Munnabhai MBBS, the first film I produced. The day I released the film, we were minus four-to-five crores, and that day, Raju was paid Rs 11,000. That was not for Munnabhai. I told him, 'This is the money for your next film.' As the money came in, he got paid 11 lakhs, then 21 lakhs, then 50 more lakhs, and finally 1 crore and 11 lakhs. For a first-time director, I don't think that is bad. Now let's go to Abhijat Joshi, writer for Lage Rago Munnabhai. His father was in the ICU of Ahmedabad. I sent him a cheque of Rs 1 crore and his father was out of that hospital in two days. For 3 Idiots, he got twice of what he got for Lago Raho... tell me which writer gets paid that much? I'm not sure... you must check with Raju, but I think he was paid about 10-15 crores for Lage Raho...u00a0 Am I still a bad pay master? Fantastic. Mr Bachchan, as you know got a car from me worth four crores (a Bentley) for Eklavya.

No car for Aamir?
(laughs) No, he is already getting too much.

Your three-film contract with Hirani is now over. Worried?
I have no legal contract with Hirani. I have never done any so-called contractual obligation with anybody. Even in 3 Idiots, I had no legal contract with Mr Aamir Khan. Not one piece of paper. But I am pretty certain that he will get much more from this film than he has ever got in any film ever. I really like the way I work. I like my office. There are three people who work here. I don't have ten assistants. Once I went on the sets of Sanjay Bhansali -- who worked with me for ten years -- and I saw ten assistants. I asked him, 'Yeh karte kya hain?' I am very clear in life. Why would I tie someone to my company? I came to this city to make one film. And look where I am today. What more could I ask for? The lifestyle that I have is such -- with all the money I have -- I would never be able to finish even what I have. Even now, I travel business class. Now in front of you I was telling someone to get my ticket done on the miles I have collected. I've never knowingly exploited anyone. Public mere baare main kya kehta hai, I have never really cared. Finally, I live with myself.u00a0

Have you forgiven SRK for trying to steal Hirani?
Totally forgiven. Dil se, forgiven. I was very angry, which means that I am real. I am a man from a village, I don't know how to hide my emotions. I will never go to anyone I am angry with and be nice to him, even if he is the PM of this country. I will be myself. Bahut gussa aaya tha. Khatam bhi ho gaya. If anyone hurts me, I tell that person, 'Yaar tune yeh theek nahin kiya.' Phir khatam. You can't hold on to it and sit.

So, it's possible that SRK does a film for your banner someday?
Absolutely. His kids and mine go to the same school. And every time I see him, I look at him from every angle and think, 'Yaar, yeh uss role mein theek lagega.'

Is there a possibility of any actor besides Sanjay Dutt playing Munnabhai?
It's too early to say anything. I want to go on making the Munnabhai films till the day I die. Hopefully, I will liveu00a0 another thirty years. So if I am going to make that film again and again, then somewhere down the years, I might take Ranbir Kapoor or Shahid Kapoor. Who knows... Munnabhai is a fantastic character. I love him. What Munnabhai and 3 Idiots have done, is change lives. My own daughter was in a marketing school in Pune. She has now quit that and has joined some dancing classes. My life is changing because of this movie. (Laughs) I caught my daughter with her hand on her heart saying, "All is well, all is well" because she had a history exam the next day.

You were upset when Sanjay used the Munnabhai character to campaign for a political party. True?
Yes, I was upset. I will also be upset tomorrow if Aamir uses Rancho's character from 3 Idiots to become a politician.

But why?
I've written these characters with love and affection. They have changed lives. You cannot and must not use themu00a0 to promote yourself. Aamir can sell a TV or whatever he sells as Aamir Khan but not as Rancho. SRK can sell any product but if I make Munnabhai with Shah Rukh Khan, he cannot say, 'Main Munnabhai, aap ko yeh bechne ke liye aaya hoon' that is not right. I told Sanjay that.

The characters that you write seem to be a little like you.
That's true. I was thrown out of classes in film school because I asked a question that the professor didn't like. You know I am a failure from the film institute? They didn't give me a diploma. (Scoffs) They gave me a diploma when I became a governing counselling member. When I got nominated for the Oscar's, they said, 'Arre yaar, isko toh pass karna padega.'

You're a recluse of sorts. Why?
I can't even hear the noise outside my office, as I have put up double glass. I write at night. I work here till four in the morning. I start my day around 12. Then I have lunch, and sleep, every afternoon for an hour. Then I go to my other office for one hour where my accounts are. I don't have a TV in my house. I don't read newspapers. Just the National Herald Tribune to see what is going on in the world. That's it... Now you know the secret of my happiness.