From Dil Chahta Hai to Don, Farhan Akhtar shared the stories behind his directorial hits.
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00:00And when that film released, that film didn't do well, you know.
00:03So I was so depressed.
00:05I was so depressed.
00:07I was like, man, how did this happen?
00:09And there was something about that music, that train.
00:13You know that, you know, that music plays so correctly.
00:17I was like, man, this is such a wonderful theme.
00:20Someone should make this film again.
00:22And I'll tell you the truth, when I made Dil Chahta Hai,
00:24I didn't have any such plan that after this,
00:27I'm going to have a career in the film.
00:39It was a very difficult film to make.
00:41Very challenging film to make.
00:43It was a film that took me out of my comfort zone.
00:46I joined the army.
00:47Are you serious?
00:48I was making a film in the world of the army.
00:51I had no understanding of how they function.
00:53So to learn that, understand that, display it.
00:56So that when they see the film, it was important to me.
00:59They should feel that, wow, man, this is really,
01:02we've not seen a film like this before.
01:04In terms of display, depiction of the army.
01:08So I made that film with all my heart.
01:10And when that film released, that film didn't do well.
01:13Okay.
01:14You know, so I was so depressed.
01:17I was so depressed.
01:18I was like, man, how did this happen?
01:20And it took me a long time.
01:22It took me almost a year, year and a half
01:24to come out of that depression.
01:25Really?
01:25Yeah.
01:26And I distracted myself.
01:28I started traveling.
01:29I used to go with my friends here, there, the other.
01:31Drank quite a bit.
01:32But what I connected with was,
01:35Karan Shergill in the film,
01:36his life problem that he doesn't know what to do,
01:40that I could relate to.
01:41And this is how I used to make plans.
01:42Exactly like this.
01:44My friend is going to commerce, let me go too.
01:47You know, it was literally that.
01:49And when he gets a goal,
01:53he gets a goal, then you see what he can do.
01:57So the first film that was made, Dil Chahta Hai,
02:02people liked it a lot.
02:04The film was praised a lot.
02:06The work was also praised a lot.
02:08I felt great.
02:09And I will tell you the truth, when I made Dil Chahta Hai,
02:11I had no such plan that after this,
02:14I am going to have a career in film.
02:17I wanted to make that movie.
02:18That was my plan.
02:20Okay.
02:20You just made Dil Chahta Hai.
02:21I want to make this film, I will make this film.
02:23When the film did well,
02:25and when everybody said, what next, what next?
02:28That's when I started thinking that this is a possibility.
02:31We were friends, we are, we will stay.
02:35I hardly worked hard in Dil Chahta Hai.
02:37You know what I mean?
02:38The more I worked hard in Dil Chahta Hai,
02:40it was like casting.
02:42I was looking for who will do it, who will do it.
02:44Finally, I mean, this is fate.
02:48You have to call it luck that this kind of cast came into place.
02:52But it wasn't easy at all.
02:56So, we were going by train to Dehradun.
02:59And in the train, I was listening to music with my headphones on.
03:04And I was listening to this album, beautiful album
03:07called Bombay The Hard Way.
03:08Okay.
03:09So, when I was listening to that,
03:11one of the tracks on that is the Don's title theme.
03:16They had done the background score.
03:18And there was something about that music, that train.
03:21You know that, you know,
03:23that music plays so correctly with it.
03:26And I'm like, yaar, this is such a wonderful theme.
03:30Someone should make this film again.
03:32And Zoya was there.
03:33So, I told Zoya, I said, Zoya, somebody should make Don.
03:37And she was like, why don't you make it?
03:40So, I'm like, should I make Don?
03:41And I got excited about the idea of Don.
03:44So, I reached out to Hrithik.
03:46And I told Hrithik, I said, yaar, Hrithik,
03:48I'm thinking I'm going to remake Don.
03:50So, what do you think?
03:51He's like, sounds amazing, dude.
03:53You know, this, that, and the other.
03:54So, I said, let me write it and I'll bring it to you.
03:56So, he said, cool.
03:58So, I started writing.
04:00And I'm writing, and I'm writing, and I'm writing.
04:02The only person whose face is popping into my head is Shah Rukh.
04:06So, the way he was, not his cinematic image, but him.
04:13Personality.
04:13His personality, his wit.
04:17You know, that little sarcastic humor that he has.
04:19Self-deprecating.
04:20I mean, he can make fun of himself too.
04:22Your aunty has brought a lot of uncles outside.
04:25But I've already spoken to Hrithik about what I'm going to do.
04:29So, I called up Hrithik.
04:30So, he said, Farhan, you have to make your film.
04:34You have to make it to the best of your, the way you want to make it.
04:38And if you're feeling he's the guy, please go ahead and call him.
04:40Don't worry about me.
04:43That is a very gracious thing.