Indian actor Shah Rukh Khan’s performance as a Bollywood superstar and his much younger lookalike admirer in Fan deserves a National Award, says director Maneesh Sharma.
“I am actually expecting [a] National Award for Shah Rukh for his work in the film. Let’s hope he gets it. It feels great seeing the response Shah Rukh is getting for his performance. It is satisfying,” Sharma said.
“Shah Rukh is the happiest with the kind of response he is getting for his performance, and the whole team is very happy as we think we have done something little alternate and getting appreciation for that is always way more assuring for any director, actor or producer.”
Sharma added: “I am very satisfied [with the film] in the sense that it was an alternate stuff for a Shah Rukh Khan-film and we all knew we were going for something little out-of-the-box in terms of what is expected out of YRF [Yash Raj Films]-SRK combination.
“Cinematically, we have done something which we are very proud of ... in terms of storytelling, like not having song, dance, heroine or fulfilling any commercial expectation which is what people associate with Shah Rukh and Yash Raj.
“In that sense, whatever response that we are getting and the benchmark that we have set with VFX that has been very satisfying.”
Having a big name like Khan may put pressure on most filmmakers, but Sharma says each film comes with its own set of pressures.
“Honestly, every time you make a film it is a risk. Filmmaking is a risky thing. Making Fan did not weigh me down in terms of having Shah Rukh Khan on board. Any film comes with that amount of risk.
“Dum Laga Ke Haisha [his previous film] comes with that amount of risk as you are making it with newcomers, at a certain scale, milieu. You don’t know whether it will work. You just go with your conviction and hope for the best.”
Well, his risk-taking with Dum Laga Ke Haisha certainly paid off — it was not only liked by the audience but it also won the best Hindi film trophy at the 63rd National Awards.
“It is the most highly revered and respectable award we have. It feels like once-in-a-lifetime opportunity right now and it also feels good that it has happened so early in all our careers. Hopefully, it will motivate us to come back again.”
