Abhishek Dogra, who makes his directorial debut with Dolly Ki Doli, has complete faith in his leading lady Sonam Kapoor. True, Sonam’s fashionista image is more talked about than her acting chops, but Abhishek remains unfazed by that.
“Sonam, I believe, is a good actor. She has pulled off films like Raanjhana, Mausam and Khoobsurat. It’s just the image that needs to be broken. Yes, people focus more on her clothes and here too she’s wearing some beautiful lehengas, and she’s dolled up in several scenes. But she has gone de-glam too in certain parts and she has pulled off both sides of the character,” he says.
He is also pleased with his producer Arbaaz Khan. “Arbaaz was involved in every aspect, from scripting to casting and music. He is not your typical producer. He gives genuine feedback and I tried to incorporate that. Luckily, 90 per cent of the time we were on the same page.”
Even as Dolly Ki Doli is yet to release Abhishek is already planning his next. “I have a script. It’s a different genre all together. It’s very me and I will make it next year,” says the director who is inspired by Farhan Akhtar, Shoojit Sircar and Balki among others. “With these directors at work, I think the industry is in safe hands.”
Abhishek started off as an assistant director in Paa. “But there comes a time when you want to do something of your own. So I wrote a couple of scripts and started pitching them to people I knew. I messaged Arbaaz sir thrice, telling him that I have a quirky script. He decided to give me half an hour to narrate my story. He liked it instantly and I was on board.”
