After a point, money doesn’t motivate: Director Mohit Suri

By Arundhuti Banerjee

Mumbai, May 13 (IANS) Film director Mohit Suri, upbeat about his forthcoming movie "Half Girlfriend", says he does not want to get into the "game of Rs 100-crore club" as after a certain level of commercial success, money does not motivate him.

His last release "Hamari Adhuri Kahani" faced box office failure. Asked if he felt any pressure to get good numbers from his new film, Suri told IANS here: "As a filmmaker, of course, I want my film to do well at the box office. But no, there's no huge pressure. I do not want to get into the Rs 100-crore club. And honestly, after a point, money does not motivate me to work, but passion does."

Referring to one of his most successful films, "Aashiqui 2", he said: "You know when the film earned so much money and everyone was celebrating, I was feeling empty within. I was wondering why I was not enjoying the success. Perhaps that is because I lost my father during that time. So, the person I wanted to address the film to was not there any more."

Since the director is not over-enthusiastic about getting into the Rs 100-crore club, he explained: "I think if I get into that game, I will have to work with big stars every time to pull audiences to the theatre. What if I want to work on a script that demands newcomers? So I want success so that people can make money and I can make more films with talent."

In "Half Girlfriend", which he has also produced, Suri has given an opportunity to four new singers and a new music director under his music label EMI Music.

"This is what I want to do as a producer. My success should create a platform for new musicians, actors and directors so that I can give back to the industry, so that I can create a platform for others, like the way I got an opportunity and immense support as a newcomer."

Having started his career with "Kalyug" in 2005, Suri delivered hit films like "Raaz: The Mystery Continues", "Murder 2" , "Aashiqui 2", and "Ek Villain". It is interesting to observe how in every film, he projects women in a different way and, weaves a love story into even a thriller.

Is a love story his favourite subject?

"I do not have a straight answer to that. I believe women play an important role in every man's life.

"You know, love made a huge change in my life and I believe that is the only relation we can choose. We are born to our parents and we get unconditional love from them by default. But we choose our lover... And you are who you choose to love. So I think as a director also, when I make films, it reflects on my work, in the characters."

As his latest film is also a love story that addresses rural-urban social differences and the selflessness of a lover who goes out of his way to make a relationship work, the film will start an internal dialogue for the audience, the director said.

"If your heart is in the right place and you are not egoistic, you can become selfless for the person you love. In our film, Madhav Jha (Arjun Kapoor) goes to New York for Riya (Shraddha Kapoor) out of love, because he follows his heart. He does not go abroad to make a career, but for the girl," Suri said.

"Half Girlfriend" is based on Chetan Bhagat's eponymous novel, which records the sentiments and linguistic struggles of a rural Bhojpuri-laced Hindi-speaking boy from Bihar after he enrols himself in an English-medium college and falls in love with a high-class English-speaking Delhi girl.

The predicament of those who lack English speaking skills has already become much talked about.

"I think people have already started talking about the Hindi-English language issue. I mean, isn't it weird that even in an Indian restaurant, where I am going to eat my desi food, the waiter is explaining food in English. I know the importance of knowing English, but do we think about the result of ignoring our native language?" he asked.

"Half Girlfriend" is releasing on May 19.

(Arundhuti Banerjee can be contacted at arundhuti.b@ians.in)