Rumy Jafry talks about Amitabh Bachchan

Big B plays the pivotal role of a lawyer in Rumy Jafry’s mystery thriller. Having played a lawyer in the 2016-film Pink, Amitabh will be seen in Chehre in a different look. Ahead of the 27th-August theatrical release, we speak with Rumy about his experiences while making the film.

Excerpts from the interview

Q How excited are you for the theatrical release?

We need to credit our producer. We made this film intending it for theatres, so it obviously feels happy because I believe watching any film in the theatre feels like a different high. Let’s pray that theatres do not die. Many know me as someone who’s for many years done commercial cinema and comedy. But Chehre is a thriller, which was like reinventing me, and I am all set to change myself with this genre. In a thriller, the sound and projection is the attraction. I’ve worked so hard for this film and readied the script and designed its sound, lighting, etc.

Q How was your experience directing Big B ?

I wish to keep working as a director with Amitji for the rest of my life. And my experience working with him is unbelievable. His way of working is wonderful — in spite of being such a big star, he has so much discipline instilled within him. His involvement and dedication is incredible. I’ve been lucky to have got to work with him. I have already done four films with Bachchan Saab, including God Tussi Great Ho in 2008. Additionally, I’ve written two films for him and now have directed him.

In Chehre, he plays the role of an advocate so we worked around a new look we could introduce in him. We collected all his photos of his earlier films and put them on the wall. So then we decided to make a different bearded look and design his hat differently. In short, audiences can expect to see him in a totally different avatar in Chehre. When you look at the poster, it’d seem like his eyes are penetrating directly into your heart.

Q What was Amitabh’s reaction to his looks?

To tell you the truth, he seems happy with the role and the script. For the first time in his life, he wrote and sang a song picturised on him. Also, we have both bonded well for many years because of Amitji’s literature background. I also belong to a literary background. So whenever we get together, we talk about literature. And whenever I come across a good shayari, I send it to him.

Q What about the climax of the film? You have reported that Amitabh Bachchan completed the climax scene in one shot, in all of 14 minutes. Please elaborate.

Amitji was so involved on the sets when I was penning and rewriting the climax. It was being handwritten by me and then it had to be typed. He had no patience to wait even until it got printed. He went into the assistant’s room and asked them how much time they will take to complete it.

Upon getting the climax dialogues, he was very excited. No sooner he got the dialogues for the scene in his hands, than he learned the entire piece. He completed the huge piece within just 14 minutes, non-stop, with no rehearsals. It was a hair-raising experience for everyone on the sets — with everyone clapping non-stop because it was such an emotional and energising speech. When I ‘okayed’ the scene, he then requested us for another take — for safety sake. He then went on to give us one more bonus shot.