Deepika has impressed me completely: Imtiaz Ali

Imtiaz Ali speaks about the saying 'Love makes the world go round', the in-love Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor, the lovely Deepika Padukone and his take on love yesterday and today.

Q. 'Jab We Met' was such a big success. As a filmmaker do you think you've graduated with 'Love Aaj Kal'?

Honestly, it's difficult to say because you become very subjective towards the film you do and you can't really be a critic as well. When I was making 'Jab We Met', I was trying my best to make the best. In 'Love Aaj Kal', I've done the same thing.

Q. You obsessed with love?

Yes. Mere andar bahut pyaar hain. It gets reflected through my films, I guess.

Q. Your films have got this earthy feel and innocence in them. Is it to do with your upbringing?

I have grown up in a middle class family in smaller cities of India. My father has been on a transferable job. When I finally reached Delhi and Mumbai, I saw the grandeur of big cities. So obviously, the movies that I make will be in some way a reflection of what I've seen in my life. The fiber that you're talking about comes from my upbringing.

Q. Kareena has expressed a lot of sorrow as you didn't rope her in 'Love Aaj Kal' in spite of her calling you her favourite director.

I'm very happy to hear that Kareena thinks so highly of me. I should also say that Kareena is my favourite actress. But just for the greed of working with your favourite actor, you cannot cast her wrong because you'll be doing injustice to everybody including the actor. My role as a director is to avoid such mistakes. I'd like Kareena to be in all my movies but the point is that I need to be fair to her and her talent.

Q. So what was special in Deepika then?

When you see the film you'll know better. There is a sense of silence in Deepika and a sense of innocence. I cannot express that in words. There is a certain character or the nature of Meera, the role which Deepika plays in the film, which suited her. Deepika has impressed me completely because of her synergy with the character she plays, just like how Kareena impressed me while she played Geet.

Q. Are you nervous of your film being pitted against 'Kambakkht Ishq'?

You see, I don't get time to get nervous, luckily. As the release date is just around the corner, I feel happy that the film is finally going to be seen by the world. But I think that nervousness is a luxury that I don't think directors can really afford because we are always working.

Q. How about your new producer?

Saif was never a producer for me. He was only the actor for me. He was really happy only to be an actor too. He has come in with his intelligence, common sense and an extremely good creative idea for the publicity of the film. Only as an actor he could've done justice to 'Love Aaj Kal'.