Now here’s a movie I’m really looking forward to watching, just because I know Homi would have poured his intensely quirky-sexy soul into it. The film releases on July 13, 2012. Save the date and check out this exclusive interview with the director himself! xoxo
MissMalini: Hi Homi! It’s been ages, how’ve you been? Your movie Cocktail looks amazing, can’t wait to see it, what’s it about?
Homi Adajania: Been good thanks. Cocktail is about three strangers, Gautam (Saif Ali Khan), Veronica (Deepika Padukone) and Meera (Diana Penty) who inadvertently become best friends and spend a hilarious summer living in London until they are faced with the predicament of choosing between love and friendship. Cocktail is a warm celebration of relationships exploring various choices that life presents and the extra-ordinary choices that ordinary people make.
MM: I also love the colors in the posters and the whole way you’ve styled it, what did you do to give it that look? Did Anaita do all the costumes?
HA: The idea is to keep it real in terms of the characters and then manipulate the ambient tones to create a specific mood. All the images we are using are on-location photographs taken during the shoot because we knew we’d never get the candid feel if it was recreated in a studio.
Yup Anaita Shroff Adajania styled the primary costumes. I think she got the job because she is sleeping with the director… 🙂
MM: *lol* How did this story come to you and what was it like directing a film written by Imtiaz Ali?
HA: My producer Dinesh Vijan literally yanked me out of beach-bum mode and had Imtiaz Ali narrate the basic story of Cocktail to me. At first I found it odd to embrace someone else’s thought process. But once I interpreted Imtiaz’s idea and created my own vision of it, he let go of it and I made it mine. After this I internalized the story and collaborated very closely with Dinesh on it and that’s when it became our story to tell.
MM: Tell us one fun/funny thing that happened while shooting for Cocktail…
HA: Funny things happened everyday. Unfortunately the only things that I can remember are things that are totally censored for obvious reasons!
MM: What’s your favorite track on the album? And why?
HA: It’s Yaariyan, which has been sung by Mohan Kanan and Shilpa Rao. It’s simple, melancholic and flirts with a sense of nostalgia. It reminds me of those moments of happiness in my life that I knowingly allowed to drift away. I like that kind of music.
MM: I hear you’ve made Deepika a bad girl in this film? But you offered her both parts first right? What do you think was so appealing about the one she chose?
HA: It took balls to choose Veronica’s role (Deepika’s character). I love her for choosing this character. There’s nothing “bad” or “good” about Veronica. She’s just a girl who is going through a wild phase in her life and is aware of this but also longs to be grounded. There’s nothing clichéd about her. Veronica is very endearing, has moments of complete clarity and then can be totally unpredictable. She’s like a female version of me in my twenties!
MM: Describe Saif, Diana and Deepika in 3 words or less (each)
HA: Saif – Renaisance man, Diana – The Real thing. Deepika – Oh Deepika…Va Va Voom!
MM: Which Bollywood/Hollywood directors do you most admire, and name any one movie you wish you’d made!
HA: Too many…
MM: What are your top 3 Bollywood must-watch movies? Favorite movie scene of all time (Bollywood or Hollywood?).
HA: I can’t answer this kind of stuff. I love vegging out on trashy C-grade Chinese martial arts films, serious documentaries and creative cooking programs. I prefer reading rather than watching films. So my comments for worthy material will be very skewed and enthusiastic readers will kick my ass as they end up watching teleshopping network as a “must-watch”.
MM: Haha fair enough 🙂 Cocktail seems like a unique story, have you put any of your own real-life experiences in it?
HA: I have not changed Imtiaz’s story but I have made every scene my own. So many influences from my life have slyly found themselves in various scenes. I think that tends to happen with every filmmaker.
MM: If this film were an actual cocktail, which one would it be?
HA: I guess a confused Martini… shaken, stirred but with a twist. Though the film isn’t about booze or any bar at all.
MM: And a few Twitter Fan Qs!
HA: It was always called Cocktail ever since Imtiaz wrote the story. It’s not got anything to do with the booze angle. The name represents the concept of a mix. For me the title Cocktail signifies the mix of ingredients that friends and lovers use the complete each other’s incompleteness.
HA: Soon enough I reckon. I don’t know if it’ll be as dark as Being Cyrus but definitely quirkier.
HA: Diana is a professional. She respects everyone’s space, is very focused and works as hard as the others. In fact Saif passed a commendable insight about how he often felt that Diana was a seasoned actress when he was pitched opposite her in various scenes.
HA: Very different. It was a bit like making Being Cyrus on steroids. It was great fun but more work as well in terms of the size of the production. I must admit there is some joy in having a substantial budget where you aren’t worrying that you’ll run out of film stock.
HA: I was busy diving, snowboarding, falling in love, having a kid, eating, reading, writing blah blah blah. Living life is a full time job.
More Cocktail!
Bollywood Trailer: Cocktail. You Like?
Song Promo: ‘Tumhi Ho Bandhu’ from Cocktail.
Saif Ali Khan’s Rockstar Act in ‘Yaariyan’ From Cocktail.