Sooraj Barjatya: Avnish talks about rejection and closure in Dono, words that did not exist in my kind of cinema: Exclusive

Sooraj Barjatya has been a stalwart of Indian Cinema, thanks to his rooted and successful films like Maine Pyar Kiya, Hum Aapke Hain Koun..!, Hum Saath Saath Hain, Vivah, Prem Ratan Dhan Payo etc. He is entering a new phase of his life and career, as his son Avnish Barjatya is soon going to make his debut as a director with Dono, which he has produced.We spoke to the legendary director about his new production and Avnish’s foray into his world…

What was your reaction when Avnish told you he wants to become a director?
I remember we were at Goa Airport and were returning from a holiday. That was the first time he gave me a hint that he wanted to become a director. I always thought that he’d become a businessman because even now as a director, half his mind is on budgets and related things. He’s a much better producer than me. And, when I was making Prem Ratan Dhan Payo, he said he wanted to assist me, that time I became sure about his decision.
Also I was very particular and wondered whether as an individual, does he have the patience to wait and go through the grind? So, he worked on a lot of short films and spent years on the script of Dono. With the script, I eventually realized that he has a voice, and that voice is starkly different from mine.
You used to visit the set as a producer or a concerned father ?
I really had a blast when I used to visit the sets, as for the first time I didn’t have to worry about the call time or where to place the camera etc . Also Avnish was completely prepared on the sets and was ready from the word go. His world is very different from mine, as he is talking about rejection, closure, restart button and my cinema does not know these words. I’ve made films where boy and girl meet and straight fall in love, so his film was more intense, more character driven. Of course, I gave suggestions, but he was quite happy to do it his own way.
Hum Aapke Hain Koun..! has been one of the biggest hits in Indian Cinema, till date people watch it. How do you look at films like Gadar 2 , Jawan, Pathan etc which are setting new benchmark collections with every passing day?
Everytime I witness such success, I feel that every film takes the same effort and each film comes with its own nut to crack. However, some movies just happen, be it Hum Aapke Hain Koun..! or Gadar 2 or Jawan. And the audience just surprises us each time!
I do feel that films have to stand out , they have to be special and sometimes, we have to step out of our comfort zone and do what we want to do at that time of our life. Like when I was making Hum Aapke Hain Koun..!, it came naturally to me , I had just become a father and had tasted success in Maine Pyar Kiya. We were looking at making a love story, but not the boy meets girl types. At that time, I was at the age where I had come to appreciate family dynamics. Not only that, I had the backing of stars like Salman Khan and Madhuri Dixit and we wanted to send out a family message, coupled with entertainment… It also worked because we tried to do something different.