8 months after the release of DIL DIYA HAI that didn't quite meet with a good box office response, Emraan Hashmi would be seeing a release to his name today - GOOD BOY BAD BOY.
Directed by Ashwini Chaudhary, the film was kick started in January last year but it is only now that the film has reached the theaters. Why? "That's right, the film's shooting began during that time but there were some extra days required for the shoot since we needed a real college as a background", clarifies Emraan, "In the fact the film was ready for post production around October last year but since Subashji [Subhash Ghai] wanted the film to arrive during college vacation period, it was decided to bring the film in May this year."
Agreed, but there also have been murmurs about so-called fallout between the director of the film Ashwini Chaudhary and the showman. How much of that has been true? "Frankly speaking I have no idea if something like that happen or not", he says while steering away from any controversy, "I am not aware about anything happening behind the doors because as far as I am concerned, I have seen a chilled out atmosphere all through the shooting of the film. Now if something has taken place beyond that then I have least idea about it."
Since GOOD BOY BAD BOY is a comedy, how much does he see himself progressing vis- -vis comic roles, especially after JAWANI DIWANI and THE KILLER where his character had comic undertones? "Hmmm, well first of all let's not call GOD BOY BAD BOY as an out and out comedy. Yes, there are comic elements and numerous hilarious moments but I won't classify the film into comic genre", says Emraan.
"Let me tell you about how the film actually happen", explains Emraan in an excited tone, "Ashwini narrated the film to me in just one line and so powerful was the DNA of the script that I instantly agreed to it."
And what exactly is this DNA? "The sheer excitement of seeing what happens when a role reversal happens between two contrasting characters." How exactly? "Well, the film deals with two college students who are completely different characters. So while I play a bad boy, Tusshar is a quintessential good boy."
Carry on. "Motive for both of us to be coming to college is completely different", he explains, "While for me the fun lies in the fact that I chase women, sit and canteen and do anything and everything that takes me away from studies, for Tusshar it is just the opposite. He is someone whose world lies in books, is extremely studious and in nutshell is just not prepared for the world. This makes us two incomplete people in the plot."
Sounds interesting, so how do they become complete after all? Do their paths cross? "Of course yes", he says quickly, "In fact a multiple number of times. We actually hate each other for number of reasons and refuse to stand each other's face. Slowly we become friends and the world is never the same for us again. We actually end up completing each other's world."
How exactly does that happen? "This is where the fun in the entire story lies. Incidentally on-screen names of both Tusshar and me sound quite similar in the film. While I am Raju Malhotra, Tusshar is Raj Malhora. In the film Paresh Rawal plays a college principal who wants to divide the college into two halves - one for good students and another for bad students. Of course the former is made for Tusshar while it is a ground left open for someone like me when it comes to bad students. Call it our fortune or misfortune, our files get exchanged and we both land up in conflicting batches. Imagine me being thrown to a bunch of good students while Tusshar having to cope up with baddies like me," he explains while narrating the basic plot of the film.
But doesn't his character think of bailing out of the situation and return back to his world? "Well, not really", he winks, "Because it is in the good students batch that I find the girl [Isha Sharwani] whom I like. So I say that it's fine, let me stick on to where I am. On the other hand Tusshar too finds love in bad girl Tanushree Dutta and as a quartet we evolve and end up completing each other. I teach him about how to face the real world while he teaches me about the virtues and values of life."
Tanushree opposite Tusshar? Wouldn't it have been much lethal combination to have her opposite him? "But that wouldn't have made much sense", he says, "The basic plot warranted that I fall for a simple girl while Tusshar finds love in someone who is out and out sensuous/sexy. Since Tanushree fits in like a T here due to her image so far, it was good to see her playing that role."
Emraan just mentioned about he and Tusshar completing each other in the film. Does it tend to become serious after some initial laughs? "The film has its emotional moments but as I said earlier there are plenty of humorous moments throughout. Guess what, in the end it is no less fun to see good boy turning bad and the bad boy actually turning good", he laughs.
Fair enough, it would be good to witness some laughs for ourselves too. Nevertheless, GOOD BOY BAD BOY has turned out to be a rare instance where Emraan has appeared in a 2 hero project. Is it a conscious attempt? "I won't really say that", he says after thinking a bit, "I have no apprehensions about working in a 2-3 hero film. Also, I may not be the hero per se, I could be plain villainous. Ultimately I have to see for my own good that I play an interesting character rather than worry about being in the main lead if there are other leads around."