Kabir Khan on Tiger 3, Salman-Katrina and Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival

Poster of the Katrina Kaif-Salman Khan-starrer 'Tiger 3', which will release on November 10, and director Kabir Khan.

Kabir Khan one of the board members of the 23rd Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival, that is to be held across 20 screens, at eight venues from October 27 to November 5, met us recently at the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre, for an exclusive conversation with Moneycontrol.

The filmmaker known for his multi-genre films like Bajrangi Bhaijaan, Ek Tha Tiger, New York, 83, among others, has through the power of his storytelling showcased the ability of films to transcend boundaries, both geographical and emotional. Kabir’s way of handling complex and socially relevant topics with sensitivity and depth is the reason he has found appreciation not just amongst fans but critics too. Edited excerpts from the interview:

You are a board member of the 23rd Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival. How essential are film festivals?

Film festivals are absolutely essential. It is that one place where everybody comes and celebrates cinema and that is the reason why every significant city in the world tries to put together a festival which their audience and people from the rest of the world can attend. And MAMI is one such festival. Mumbai is one of the greatest cities in the world, especially because of its identification as one of the hubs of Indian cinema and it deserves a festival like MAMI. Over the years it has become a definitive festival in our city, and I am so glad that we are back after three years. I have often said that a festival is only as good as its audiences and that is what makes MAMI so great. The audience in Mumbai is unparalleled and really gives a lot of love. As a filmmaker I have travelled for festivals with my films and if the audience gives you love, you feel so special. They are not from your country, nor culture yet they access your films, understand nuances. A festival audience is always more nuanced and they try to read the layers in a film. I think it is essential for every big city to have a festival and I’m so glad Mumbai has MAMI.

There are over 70 films by women directors out of the 200 plus films to be screened at MAMI this year. Women in filmmaking — do you think the representation is good enough?

First of all, more power to them! To have so many women-directed films would be a treat at this festival. That is something that we really need to see more of. Traditionally in our industry the representation of women especially behind the camera has been absolutely miniscule and sadly so. Of course, it is increasing and growing every year. In India, things are at a better level than before but is it as much as it should be? No. There is some systemic problem that is not allowing that to happen, and we need to sort of explore that and introspect and see how we can give more equal opportunities.

You have made films in multiple genres, including a sports biopic. What is the primary force that compels you to make a certain film?

When I hear a story it’s a certain feeling that I get which makes me want to do the film. Sometimes you have nice stories, but you don’t get that feeling. I’m a filmmaker who approaches everything by gut instinct. I don’t go with preconceived notions, there’s a certain process and structure of course, but I like to believe in my gut instinct, that is how I approach my cinema. At the end of the day when you pick up a story you must live with that for two years from writing it, putting it together, to taking it to the theatre. It needs to excite you so much that every pore of your body is thrilled and motivated about it for you to be able to go through that journey every day. That’s why I love making movies. I feel like I have never worked a day in my life! I am doing what I love doing, travelling the world, having fun, meeting people and making stories that excite me.

You started as a cinematographer for the Discovery Channel — did that influence your filmmaking perspective?

Yes, my documentary days and my cinematography definitely helped to make me the person I am today. I think my background in cinematography helps me today when I’m on set. I don’t have to overthink about where I want my cameras, it all comes to me instinctively and I know this is the way I want to frame my shot and construct a scene. My documentary days are significant for me because they shaped me as a person, shaped my world and my filmmaking. People say that I have a political backdrop to every film I make, and there are layers beneath, and a certain context — all this comes naturally to me because of that background. As an audience I used to struggle watching romance and I would wonder why that story couldn’t have more of a social political context, why is it set in a vacuum. So today when I make my own films, I try to layer a social, political, or historical context to it. I do that because I like watching such films as an audience. Ultimately a filmmaker makes cinema that he or she likes watching because you only know yourself. You make a film for yourself and then keep your fingers crossed that the audience will also like it too!

Music has always been important in your films. But these days films don’t have as many songs. Please comment.

It’s very important to know that every story dictates its own treatment. If you see my films also there are some that have no songs, for example Kabul Express, and New York had only non-lip sync songs in the background. But it was a great album. During Tiger..., I struggled with the music, and I didn’t do justice to the music because I felt I didn’t know how to do it seamlessly. However, when I started writing Bajrangi..., six songs came so organically to me! So, I have realised that it is not about wanting to push in a song in a film, it has to support the storytelling. Today’s audience have evolved from that, and they don’t expect you to, ‘paanch gaane do toh humein maza aayega’ (give us five songs).  Today audiences go with the story and are aware of which film to expect. Suppose I put a lip-sync song in 83, then people would have hurled shoes at me!

You have always been an avid trekker and are known to be particular about locations. You picked Sonmarg’s Thajiwas Glacier for the climax scene of Bajrangi Bhaijaan. Why are locations so important in your films?

Locations are very important for me. I believe that locations have a subliminal effect on the audiences. I could have filmed the climax scene of Bajrangi Bhaijaan in any other part of Kashmir also. In fact Salman kept saying why are you going 12,000 feet above sea level into the mountains and into the snow! It’s so difficult to reach there and let alone mount the whole scene on that scale. But I knew that a film of that scale when it comes to the climax needs a certain setting for the audience to say, ‘where the hell are we’. Locations for me or not just a backdrop they are like a character in my films. I feel they are being a certain meaning to the scene and with my trekking- travelling background and documentaries, I am just not excited by sets. There are many filmmakers who enjoy the sets but my creative juices go very low when I am on a set so I am always trying to shoot real locations, real places, and travel as much as I can. One of the processes that I enjoy the most in my filmmaking is actually travelling for locations and I do a lot of that. When I am shooting in a certain area, I travel the length and breadth of it and look for a new location. So finding a location for the climax of Bajrangi took a long time because I went to four five different places before I felt this was it. The Thajiwas Glacier (Sonamarg) is now called the Bajrangi Point.

Which ones do you feel are your favourite locations in your films?

I think the truly iconic location was the opening sequence of Tiger. It was in a fabulous town called Mardin (Turkey). We were starting a franchise that’s going to be India’s James Bond and Bond movies have crazy locations. Mardin is built on the hillside where you can literally jump from one roof to another. The other location in Tiger was Cuba. I was always fascinated by that place and it was a dream for me to go there. The joke in Yash Raj Studios used to be that whichever country Kabir wants to go to, he just writes it into the script so that you have to go there.

Back in 2012 you must’ve never thought the Tiger franchise would be so huge, did you?

Tiger now has become an iconic character. The spyverse (YRF Spy Universe) is already well on its way. Now Tiger 3 is coming. When I was writing Tiger 1’s character, we knew that it would go ahead as a franchise, but we never knew that a spyverse would come along as a spin off.  Now the spyverse has become such a successful collection of films and is really bringing the audience back into cinemas. I hope Tiger does more of that. Both Tiger and Zoya, Salman (Khan) and Katrina (Kaif), are iconic now. I think Tiger 3 will also pull in millions back into the theatres.