All about Tahaan, and Shah Rukh

Director-cinematographer Santosh Sivan says his new film “Tahaan”, about an unusual relationship between an eight-year-old boy and his donkey, has kept him very busy.

Starring Rahul Bose, Anupam Kher, Sarika, Victor Banerjee and Rahul Khanna, the movie is releasing on September 5.

Sivan talks about the movie and the desi version of Indiana Jones he’s reportedly doing with Shah Rukh Khan and John Abraham.

Excerpts:

Was it tough shooting in Kashmir for Tahaan?

The major portion of the film was shot in Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir.

Kashmir has always been talked about across the world, mainly because of terrorism and the hatred between communities there. The place is famous and it has universal appeal. That's why I chose to base my film there.

Anyway, the troubled state is the backdrop of my film. The locales suited the film and we managed to capture the first snow of winter.

I went crazy with the camera, shooting the beautiful trees, mountains and the snow there.

There were moments when I felt really close to nature. I remembered the words of poet William Wordsworth. His poems seem to come to life there.

I wanted to show the harsh reality behind the beautiful surroundings. Capturing the sadness in the mountains was a great pleasure. All these things were very important for ‘Tahaan’.

Tell us more about the film.

The film is about the journey of a boy who goes out of his home in desperation to find his donkey. During his efforts to find his donkey and bring him back he experiences many things. He meets different kinds of people and that makes the story interesting. Besides, finding his donkey is not easy for him. He goes through a lot of things.

What does Tahaan mean?

Tahaan is the name of the protagonist played by child artist Purav Bhandare. His eyes do all the talking. When I saw how his eyes speak volumes I knew I had found my main lead in Purav. He became really friendly with the donkey and they both formed a bond.

Purav understood the scenes well and this helped me bring the best out of both. Initially, it was quite difficult for us to find a donkey. But we managed to get one from a place called Sarlong in Kashmir. By the time we finished the film's production, the donkey became very friendly with Purav.

How was it working with children?

It is fun and also very easy to work with children .They are quick to learn and are very spontaneous. They don't carry any baggage or have any ego problems. Yes, they are moody. But all it takes to put their mood right is chocolate.

You always choose interesting locales for your films.

I have been doing that for quite some time. Even when we were shooting ‘Dil Se’, I chose Ladakh because it has fresh and scenic locales.

Every place has its own charm and it's up to you to measure that beauty properly. Nothing is perfect. You have to make it look perfect. It all depends on how you visualise it and how you manage to capture it so your audiences feel that they are right there.

It's the same with actors too. You have to make them look interesting. How you do it is where your talent lies.

Have you signed Shah Rukh Khan for your new film?

I have not had the time at all to approach Shah Rukh with the film or any project as such. I have been very busy with the release of my film ‘Tahaan’ and the promotion therein. Hence I haven't spoken to him. I will only be able to decide what I want to do with the film and who all I want to approach after ‘Tahaan’ hits the marquee and I am relatively free.