'SRK's memory is phenomenal'

Filmmaker Tarun Mansukhani, 33, who was in New York recently to attend the I View film festival organised by the advocacy group Engendered, talked at length about his value system, the influence his mother has had on him, and the genres that are close to his heart as a filmmaker.

He has served as an assistant on a string of hit films before Karan Johar (whom he had assisted on many films including Kuch Kuch Hota Hai) asked him to direct Dostana. Mansukhani has also served as an assistant to Aditya Chopra on Mohabaatein and to Nikhil Advani on Kal Ho Naa Ho.

Before thius interview started in a suite in Radisson in mid-Manhattan, Mansukhani, who looks younger than he is, said he needed to smoke.

"No, you can't," I told him, smiling. "I am not smoking here," he said. "I am dashing off the street."

After the interview, he said, he enjoyed very much but he was going off to the street again.

"It was a good interview. Why do you want to smoke again?" I said. "You never know how the next one will be," he said laughing as he raced to the street corner.

You have announced Dostana 2. What are the challenges have you set for yourself?

It cannot be more of the same. As I am writing, I am constantly conscious of the fact that it should have new elements, new tension, new twists and everything about it should look and sound fresh.

Even the title?

I don't want to call it Dostana 2. I will be using the word in the title, of course, but it has to be far more imaginative than Dostana 2. It has to have an identity of its own. It is funny, even when Dostana was made, we had everything in place but the title came up the last. It might happen this time, too.