'Tiger is a far better actor now'

'Munna Michael was not planned at all.'
'On the last day of the shooting for Heropanti, I gave Tiger a small narration.'
'He loved it.'
'Last year, Tiger reminded me of that narration, and asked, "Why don't you make it?"'
'Because of his excitement, this film has happened.'

Sabbir Khan's film Munna Michael, which released on July 21, is his third film with Tiger Shroff, after Heropanti and Baaghi.

There is buzz that Sabbir will direct Dabangg 3 with Salman Khan.

The director speaks to Rediff.com's Jahnavi Patel.

Is Tiger your lucky mascot?

I hope so! I hope the third film is as loved and appreciated as the last two.

We have a slightly emotional journey. We started almost together: I was one film old and he was starting off.

We push each other to do well.

Both of us are filmi.

He talks less, so we only talk about work and how to better ourselves.

Tiger and you aren't filmi, and yet, your films are typical Bollywood films. How are you un-filmi?

I grew up watching those kinds of films.

I grew up going to theatres with 1,000 seating. There would be a collective euphoria about a certain emotion, whether it was drama or action.

I feel films should be enjoyed like that.

I will always try and find a story that interests me and I try to say it as entertainingly as possible.

Maybe people can say that's typical Bollywood, and that's right. But I am separate from my professional world.

I make these films, but personally once I finish the film, I disappear. You won't know where I am.

Why do you disappear?

I am that sort of person.

There are some who are seen a lot, irrespective of whether they are making films or not.

But I am happier being with family or just reading.

You have to travel and meet new people.

Why did you choose Nidhhi Agerwal?

I am making a conscious effort with every film to infuse a new talent, whether it's an actor. a technician or a musician.

I hope my films keep working so that I can continue to do so.

How has Tiger evolved?

In the first film, he was completely new.

He had not assisted on another film either. He knew nothing about filmmaking.

So I felt like I was teaching him everything.

During Baaghi, there were times when I would say something, and he would understand me while I was still saying that sentence, and we would smile at each other.

This time around, he is far more confident.

He is like a trained actor. He would come to the set and try to impress me.

If I want something from him, he will go a little above it to impress me. So he was trying to bring something to the table.

He is a far better actor now.

Do you cast Tiger because the script demands it or because of your relationship with him?

After Heropanti, we had not made plans to work with each other.

Everyone loved Heropanti so much that they wanted us to do another film together.

Baaghi was born out of that love.

Munna Michael was not planned at all.

I first narrated the story to him in 2013. We were shooting for Heropanti and on the last day, I gave him a small narration. He loved it.

Last year, Tiger reminded me of that narration, and asked, 'Why don't you make it?'

Because of his excitement, this film has happened.

Munna Michael looks like a dance film.

I won't say Munna Michael is an out-and-out dance film.

There are a lot of layers in it. There is human drama, emotion... the film is about dreams.

It's about how a lot of us are trapped in a job we don't really want to do.

You don't need only doctors or engineers, you can be painters, singers, dancers...

Society needs all kinds of people.

This is set against the backdrop of dance.

How did you think of casting Nawaz?

During scripting, a filmmaker generally gets an instinct of which actor he wants for a film.

By the time I finished scripting, I was dead sure I was looking at Nawaz in this role.

So I thought when I would approach him, he would either say, 'Ye pagal ho gaya hai' or he would love it.

Before I even finished the narration, he got up and said he was doing it.

His excitement was very encouraging for me.

He said he would put his heart and soul into the dancing.

Every time we would plan to shoot the dance portion, he would call me and say, 'Thoda push karde kya (why don't you delay shooting the dance portion?).'

The first time, I pushed it.

He asked me for some more time.

The third time, I told him we had to shoot it. Then he did it.

As a director, how much control do you have on the film's budget?

Right now, the industry is very transparent.

Much before you begin the film, an entire team comes and sets the budget.

Even before we start rolling, the production will tell you whether the budget is right or wrong.

Are you open to making niche films?

Yes, but why should I make one?

Why shouldn't I want the entire country to watch my film?

Somebody took an educational idea and made an entertaining and beautiful film, Hindi Medium..

Even Rajkumar Hirani takes an idea and makes it pan India.

I would love to take an idea that may seem niche, but I would make it universal.