Vicky Kaushal: Don't want to build six-pack abs

Mozez Singh makes his directorial debut with the upcoming musical Zubaan starring Masaan 2015 actor Vicky Kaushal and Sarah Jane Dias The film premiered at the Busan Film Festival last October where he bagged the Rising Director Asia Star award In a candid chat during their recent visit to midday office Mozez and his actors talk about the film and moreFrom left Vicky Kaushal Sarah Jane Dias and Mozez Singh at midday office PicDatta KumbharQ Vicky did you feel disheartened that Masaan did not bag many honours during the recent awards seasonVicky Not at all For me the fact that I had accomplished and got so far was a big achievement in itselfQ Despite rave reviews for Masaan you preferred to go slow and steadyhellipVickyZubaan was the first film I signed but Masaan released earlier So I consider both as my debut projects Whenever I meet directors they tell me it is fresh to see someone who is comfortable in his own skin They can cast me in any role they think would suit me I recently wrapped up Anurag Kashyaps next and am part of Aanand L Rais upcoming production venture I do not want to build sixpack abs and beef up unless the character demands it or it is an action filmMozez After all he is the son of a leading action director Sham KaushalQ How did Zubaan land in your lapVicky I auditioned and auditionedMozez When I cast Vicky I had no clue who he was Guneet Monga producer told me to check his audition tapes I must have rejected about 300 guys and it took me eight months to finish casting But the moment I saw his tape I knew I had found my actor Still I wanted to be sure I sadistically auditioned him for an entire weekVicky I thought I will finish shooting for the film during the audition rounds itselfSarah I was the first one to be cast and had to wait till they found the leading man When I first met Vicky he was in costume I felt intimidated which is unusual for meMozez Even for Sarahs character I auditioned many girls but they did not have the body language of a singer that I found in herQ Zubaan is being touted as a comingofage filmhellipMozezZubaan is about a voyage of self discovery finding your love and aspirations The music takes the narrative forward After the Busan screening they told me this is a new type of Bollywood film Even at the Palm Springs Festival the audience which mostly comprised foreigners told me that they were seeing a Bollywood film they could relate to As a lover of cinema and music I grew up watching films and listening to songs of Amitabh Bachchan Zeenat Aman and Parveen Babi Later when I lived in the US I began watching Iranian Chinese and Korean films So Zubaan is an amalgam of all my influencesQ How relatable are the films charactersVicky Actors do all sort of stuff to prep for a film for me it is finding a song to match the character and then I play it on loopSarah My character in the film is similar to what I am in real life I grew up in a house where there was always music playing I grew up singing carols and being part of church choirsQ As a new director how tough was it to get the film goingMozez It took me seven years to roll out Zubaan I had written the script and knew exactly what I wanted to make At the same time I did not want to compromise I had produced and written the Rahul Bosestarrer White Noise 2004 and was the line producer for Angelina Jolies A Mighty Heart 2007 which was shot in India I have not had formal education in filmmaking I learnt through observationsSarah Mozes is a voracious reader his house has bookshelves from floor to the ceiling That is why he is well informed about every subjectQ Arjun Rampal has tweeted in support of the filmMozez He is an old buddy I have known him since his college days in Delhi He and his wife Mehr are my closest pals I could not cast him in the film as there is no part for him in the script I needed a new face someone who had a sense of vulnerability and knew Punjabi Vicky can rap in Punjabi too If he ever embarks on a singing career it will be because of me