Director Tarun Mansukhani is basking in the success of Housefull 5, after being away from the silver screen for 17 years. His debut movie was Priyanka Chopra, John Abraham and Abhishek Bachchan starrer 'Dostana' which released in 2008.
In an exclusive conversation with Moneycontrol, Tarun Mansukhani recalled how he zeroed in on the now iconic song Desi Girl.
Tarun said before he made Priyanka hear the song, he had told her that she will be known as 'Desi Girl' for her entire life. Priyanka Chopra has now made a name for herself in Hollywood and shifted base to New York but is still called as 'Desi Girl.'
"Desi girl was one of those songs which I really fought for and tried for. Vishal Shekhar gave me lots of options for this song. And none of them were just working for me. And the one thing I knew is what I wanted the hook line to be. I wanted to say Desi girl. I wanted to talk about that ‘dekhe lakh lakh pardesi girl ain’t nobody like my Desi girl… ‘ I knew I wanted that element. Finally, they managed to crack the song. And for me, the moment I heard the song, I knew what a blockbuster I had on hand. And I remember taking it to a lot of people and playing it for them, they all had thanda reaction to it and my reaction to them used to be, you don't know anything, just get out of it," said Tarun.
"And similarly, when I played it for Priyanka, before I started the song, I told her this is what you're going to be known as for the rest of your career. And she was like, and of course, we played it. And the rest is history," he added.
'Desi Girl' immortalized Priyanka Chopra in a shimmering saree and redefined male friendships in movies. Dostana was also vibrant, daring, and incredibly progressive for its day.
Ask him about the success of Dostana and how he enjoyed, Tarun says he was unable to enjoy the film's sucess because a week after its release the deadly 26/11 attacks happened and the entire country shut.
"Dostana was supposed to release on November 21, 2008. And while we were all getting ready for the release, Karan (Johar) walked into the room one day and said, we are releasing it on November 14, the film released. And on November 26, unfortunately, we had the terror attacks in Mumbai and the theaters and country shut down. At that point in time. So even though it was a success, I never enjoyed it because of what had happened at that point in time," he said.
Tarun said he was unable to enjoy the success of Dostana but he is enjoying 'Housefull 5' success.
"And then by the time we got out of that space, for me, the success was over about a month and a half ago and things had moved on in life. And more than anything else, the pain of that had taken away all the fun of the success. And for me, that's the small part was that I couldn't enjoy the success. So I didn't enjoy Dostana as much, but I'm definitely enjoying Housefull 5," he added.
A cultural movement began with Dostana
When it came out, Dostana was revolutionary. The film, which took place in the bright and sunny Miami, dealt with controversial topics, introduced an unexpected romance between Abhishek Bachchan and John Abraham, and offered Priyanka Chopra the stunning image that made her an international star.
But ask him about how was it working with the trio back then and he replies, 'they were a pain in the neck.'
He thinks highly of his main trio, calling them "big stars" in his opinion. In addition, he says, "They were a pain in the neck." His laughter reveals his surprise. John Abraham is six feet two inches tall, Priyanka Chopra was six feet one when she wore heels, and Abhishek Bachchan is six feet three. Then there's me, at five feet six inches tall... they'd approach me and stand directly before me. This is how I'd have to gaze at them forever.
However, he claims that Dostana almost made it on its own despite the playful intimidation.
On Priyanka's Hollywood Friendship, Fame, and Other Topics
Tarun says the friendship between Tarun and Priyanka has not changed by the physical distance. Quite connected, he remarks. "Our connection has always been authentic and sincere. There is no basis in job or popularity for this friendship. Work was never an issue in our connection because I haven't worked in 17 years. Possessing an authentic industry friend is priceless.
His Reasons for not doing Dostana 2
Typically, it's easy to see the sequel to a successful film. Contrast this with Dostana 2.
As he respectfully and firmly states his opinion, Tarun expresses his happiness with the thought of Dostana being continued as a franchise. "The fact that there is still a fanbase eager for a sequel to that film, even after all these years, fills me with pride."
But says, as a filmmaker, he doesn't want to direct Dostana 2 if it is ever made.
"It makes me feel very proud that 17 years later, there's an audience that still wants to see a sequel to that film. Inherently, as a filmmaker, I don't want to make that film. I don't want to do anything with that film. I don't want to make that film. I think I tried writing it a lot. I spent almost three to four years trying to write Dostana 2. And I just kept feeling that there is no story for me to talk about. I don't have more in Dostana," he says.
While Dostana will be remembered for its infectious joy and memorable tunes, it also created a hole that Tarun had to fill for a long time. With the release of Housefull 5, he now feels like he's made it all the way around.
Housefull 5 starring Akshay Kumar, Riteish Deshmukh, Nana Patekar, Soundarya Sharma, Jacqueline Fernandes, Abhiashek Bachchan is running successfully in theatres. The film released on June 6 and has crossed Rs 100 crore mark at the box office.
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