Metro...In Dino director Anurag Basu: ‘Konkona Sen Sharma missed Irrfan Khan more than I did'

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Metro…In Dino director Anurag Basu on work-life balance: 'I also don't like long shifts at work. My actors never complain about long hours or stress at work' read more
In an EXCLUSIVE interview with Firstpost's Lachmi Deb Roy, Metro…In Dino director Anurag Basu talks about his recent film Metro…In Dino, work-life balance and more.
The movie will truly bring back fond memories of each stage of your life. While watching this film, you will realise how cinema can help you in healing your relationships. And 'Metro…In Dino' does it in the best possible way with a warm hug. The mood of this film is sometimes somber, but mostly bright. The simple stories of each relationship that we are aware of and weaving it all together are what make this film such a work of genius.
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Edited excerpts from the interview:
How much did you miss Irrfan Khan for this film, **_Metro...In Dino_****, since he was in your previous Metro as the lead?**
When you're busy shooting, you just enter the mood of the film, but there were moments and there were scenes, which resonated with the old Metro. Konkona missed him more than I did. There was a scene and she just connected. There were moments here and there during the shooting, we really missed him and by the end of it, when the film got ready and we saw the final print, we're missing him all the more.
How did you decide on the star-cast for the film?
So, it was very easy. Pankaj Tripathi automatically came because we were working in Ludo. Aditya Roy Kapur was also working in the film. So, all these people, they automatically became part of Metro…In Dino. And then as for Ali Fazal, I was traveling with his wife Richa and took his number from her and called him. I got all my actors who were my first choice. And I was very lucky that I hit the jackpot. I had everybody say yes. And, I didn't have to go for a plan B for castings. This was the first choice for all the characters.
The story of Ali and Fatima, I actually like that the most because this is a little different, and this is quite a bit of a toxic love. So, did you have anybody in mind when you were doing these little just love stories and putting it all together?
Most of the story is about my today and my past and my tomorrow, and, you know, this is how you shape films and also get inspired from the lives of friends, cousins and all real characters around you into the film and deal with stories and characters. Our lives are actually very similar to those shown in this film. It is all floating around me, I didn't really work very hard to get these stories together.
On connecting the stories together…
I didn't flex my muscles too much. I can try to impress you with how I've linked this to that story. This is how they overlap. It's a simple story. So, this time, they are connected, organically, not so much. I didn't overdo it. And, this is how life is. Right now, we look into our lives. Our stories are connected with our parents and our sisters and cousins. I think it's just an extension of what we go through. Indirectly, our lives are connected and it does get affected by others.
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You wanted to keep this as a musical?
Yes. That was the first idea, actually. And, because of this, the first ten minutes of the film, I really wanted the audience to root, with the characters. I felt that helped the audiences to understand the characters better. And, also, I wanted them to get used to the kind of narrative they are going to see in the film which is to be followed. So, it was a tough choice.
The method you use when directing a film…
I want my actors to be very happy on the set and know their character well. I don't give too much information to them before the shoot begins. Let them discover their roles and this is the method I have been following since ages.
There is a lot of chatter on work-life balance and the eight-hour shift put forward by Deepika Padukone, what do you have to say about that?
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I also don't like long shifts at work. My actors never complain about long hours or stress at work. So, I absolutely agree with what Deepika Padukone had to say. It's a film, I never give my actors a chance to complain about this.
WATCH the trailer of 'Metro..In Dino' here: