Zayed Khan is crazy. Then the synonyms - mad, passionate, extreme. That's not an epithet. That's his motto in life, and if you don't believe me then I'd like to invite you to spend an hour in Zayed's company. Unlike any producer who'd be running up and down to fix things up and a last minute needed touch up on his movie, Zayed looked remarkable, though a bit bushed. But there's a reason. It's a double whammy for the actor. Zayed's got twins. His baby Love Breakups Zindagi releasing this week and his beautiful wife just gave birth to a baby boy a few days ago. So, he may look remarkable but his brain is astounding. Talking to him is extraordinary. Though his exhaustion means that his sentences - delivered in a voice that's all gravel, occasionally falter, but his imagination and his vocabulary never do. He seems to have a unique way of processing the world around him. Although the 30 year old has worked consistently for the past eight years, he made his name with two performances which showcased his remarkable physical versatility and skill as an actor - Main Hoon Na (that everyone is still going ga-ga about) and Shabd (that not everyone know is one of Zayed's finest works). But now call it - The return of Zayed or The new chapter in Zayed's film career, it really doesn't matter to this 'rockstar'. He's still the same. He has a great laugh - a boyish, highly contagious stream of actual tee-hee-hee's. It's not something you get to hear much in his movies. Sitting in his black polo tee and denims, Zayed looked a healthier version of Vincent Chase from Entourage. Talk to him more and you can see him turn into Hank Moody from Californication too. UK's Harrow Observer columnist and Bollywood Hungama's London correspondent brings you the Business, Babes, Bollywood and Born Free...with a dash of 'flirt' in this Part 1 exclusive with the original 'bad boy'. He'll talk love and life later!
"I guess it's time to show the world what Sahil Sangha has found in me"
I think people will see the Zayed Khan they've missed post Main Hoon Na. Post that movie I went on to a full on action trip. I wanted to do larger than life movies, big budget movies. I thought that was my calling and I wanted to go the whole nine yards. Farah was this beautiful instrumental person who saw something in me that I didn't. That's what she brought out in me. I guess it's time to show the world what Sahil Sangha has found in me (smiles).
"Dia and Sahil got the side of me in LBZ that I had forgotten"
Both Dia and Sahil saw something different in me. Dia told me that I am just that rebel who pretends to be the bad boy. But in reality, I am not that way, thanks to my upbringing. But what's important is the fact that Dia and Sahil tapped into the real Zayed Khan they saw and that only comes out if you care immensely for that person. Farah did the same thing. The first thing that Sahil told me was to let go of my hair. He wanted me to cut my long hair. When you see somebody genuinely wants to bring out the best in you, you don't question anything else. He got the side of me that I had forgotten.
"Corporates will partner with independent production houses and that's the future of cinema"
When the corporate houses came in, they knew everything about running the business but they didn't know anything about running the business of films. They are two very different things. That's why there are certain actors who are too loyal to certain productions houses because they generated damn good films, the right kind of rhythm, right kind of language and pace. The corporates came and brought the loyalty out with money as a result of which a lot of money came in but no one knew how to get that money back. We are filmy people and we know how things work. We know how to make the buck go further. At the end of the day, we are story tellers. We've got on to the pulse and the pulse that people are very acquainted with. Independent filmmaking is going nowhere. It's here to stay. Corporates will partner with them. That's the future of cinema.
"Born Free wants to connect with the new audience of India"
I think that cinema has to be economically feasible, socially relevant and most of all it has to be entertaining. There is no great directorial venture without an audience. Yes, you are gung-ho about achieving certain things but the audiences want to see films that are relevant to them. Born Free has to prove it first. Farhan did it with Dil Chahta Hai for Excel. Born Free took great inspiration from productions houses like Red Chillies, Excel Entertainment, Yash Raj, etc. Why should we say that we are trying to be different? Born Free wants to make films that the youth would love to come and watch, connect with the new audience.
"The new generation is rebellious and we are giving them a good reason to rebel"
We were very clear that we didn't want to negate the family audiences out. We never wanted to make movies by showing dirty sex pictures, make love more erotic and graphic etc. but we wanted to be rooted. There is a certain culture we come from and we can't compromise that culture if it doesn't make sense aesthetically. LBZ is a kind of film where you'll see a different kind of romance. Yes, romance will be silence; romance can be just by touching someone's hand or fingers. It's all about moments. The new generation is rebellious and we are giving them a good reason to rebel.
"I am a spoilt version of Vincent Chase from Entourage"
I was a guy who loved to be in a lady company. I grew up with three sisters and I got to know so much about women (laughs). I was not the kind of guy who ogled at some chics a** and tell my friends. I was never like that. In fact, my cousin Fardeen called me 'Sumdi'. He thinks I am cunning and 'chaaplu'. But we all are entitled to that. If I do have my fancies, I am entitled to having them without anybody knowing. Who doesn't like flirting? It reassures me that my manhood is still ticking (laughs). I am a spoilt version of Vincent Chase from Entourage. In Universities I had more breakups than anyone.
"Yes, I've had my fair share of fun and more girlfriends in schools than you've had breakfast"
There are two things that drive any human being - hunger and sex. They define a person in a lot of ways. But these are inevitable. The more you fight them the more you are pushing yourself to a corner. Yes, I've had my fair share of fun and more girlfriends in schools than you've had breakfast probably (laughs). I've partied like a rock star and I've done things that nobody has ever done. But the question is - who doesn't? Everyone does. Everyone's got a skeleton in their closet.
"I guess it's time to show the world what Sahil Sangha has found in me"
I think people will see the Zayed Khan they've missed post Main Hoon Na. Post that movie I went on to a full on action trip. I wanted to do larger than life movies, big budget movies. I thought that was my calling and I wanted to go the whole nine yards. Farah was this beautiful instrumental person who saw something in me that I didn't. That's what she brought out in me. I guess it's time to show the world what Sahil Sangha has found in me (smiles).
"Dia and Sahil got the side of me in LBZ that I had forgotten" Both Dia and Sahil saw something different in me. Dia told me that I am just that rebel who pretends to be the bad boy. But in reality, I am not that way, thanks to my upbringing. But what's important is the fact that Dia and Sahil tapped into the real Zayed Khan they saw and that only comes out if you care immensely for that person. Farah did the same thing. The first thing that Sahil told me was to let go of my hair. He wanted me to cut my long hair. When you see somebody genuinely wants to bring out the best in you, you don't question anything else. He got the side of me that I had forgotten.
"Corporates will partner with independent production houses and that's the future of cinema"
When the corporate houses came in, they knew everything about running the business but they didn't know anything about running the business of films. They are two very different things. That's why there are certain actors who are too loyal to certain productions houses because they generated damn good films, the right kind of rhythm, right kind of language and pace. The corporates came and brought the loyalty out with money as a result of which a lot of money came in but no one knew how to get that money back. We are filmy people and we know how things work. We know how to make the buck go further. At the end of the day, we are story tellers. We've got on to the pulse and the pulse that people are very acquainted with. Independent filmmaking is going nowhere. It's here to stay. Corporates will partner with them. That's the future of cinema.
"Born Free wants to connect with the new audience of India"
I think that cinema has to be economically feasible, socially relevant and most of all it has to be entertaining. There is no great directorial venture without an audience. Yes, you are gung-ho about achieving certain things but the audiences want to see films that are relevant to them. Born Free has to prove it first. Farhan did it with Dil Chahta Hai for Excel. Born Free took great inspiration from productions houses like Red Chillies, Excel Entertainment, Yash Raj, etc. Why should we say that we are trying to be different? Born Free wants to make films that the youth would love to come and watch, connect with the new audience.
"The new generation is rebellious and we are giving them a good reason to rebel" We were very clear that we didn't want to negate the family audiences out. We never wanted to make movies by showing dirty sex pictures, make love more erotic and graphic etc. but we wanted to be rooted. There is a certain culture we come from and we can't compromise that culture if it doesn't make sense aesthetically. LBZ is a kind of film where you'll see a different kind of romance. Yes, romance will be silence; romance can be just by touching someone's hand or fingers. It's all about moments. The new generation is rebellious and we are giving them a good reason to rebel.
"I am a spoilt version of Vincent Chase from Entourage"
I was a guy who loved to be in a lady company. I grew up with three sisters and I got to know so much about women (laughs). I was not the kind of guy who ogled at some chics a** and tell my friends. I was never like that. In fact, my cousin Fardeen called me 'Sumdi'. He thinks I am cunning and 'chaaplu'. But we all are entitled to that. If I do have my fancies, I am entitled to having them without anybody knowing. Who doesn't like flirting? It reassures me that my manhood is still ticking (laughs). I am a spoilt version of Vincent Chase from Entourage. In Universities I had more breakups than anyone.
"Yes, I've had my fair share of fun and more girlfriends in schools than you've had breakfast"
There are two things that drive any human being - hunger and sex. They define a person in a lot of ways. But these are inevitable. The more you fight them the more you are pushing yourself to a corner. Yes, I've had my fair share of fun and more girlfriends in schools than you've had breakfast probably (laughs). I've partied like a rock star and I've done things that nobody has ever done. But the question is - who doesn't? Everyone does. Everyone's got a skeleton in their closet.
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