He’s someone whose films I’ve always loved, be it Cheeni Kum or Paa and also a gentleman who has always maintained that women are not just equal to men but even better! AND he is someone who comes up with the most original, unique scripts and ideas. His film, Ki and Ka, too deals with a unique story and he hopes the film will change the way people think, especially the way men think. In a conversation were director R Balki speaks about ‘the’ Ki and Ka!
EXCERPT:
Tell us more about Ki and Ka
It’s a film about two people who have decided to play different roles in their lives than what is normally associated with genders. But it’s not a gender swapping film, it’s a role swapping film. It’s about two people exercising their freedom and choice of what they want to be. It’s a fun, happy, romantic comedy. It’s all about the respect for the roles you play.
Why did you title it Ki and Ka?
When I write about a film, I feel a title must sum up what a film is about. This film is about a male and female or what a male and female should be. They are the only people who don’t have a signage for a male and female so you might see them in all the loos instead of male and female now!
How did you think of the idea? Did you meet or do you know any house husband?
No I haven’t met anyone like that or know anyone like that. Am sure there are millions of people like that, there are many men who are house husbands. It’s just like there are females who are housewives similarly this film is about a man being a house husband but the thing is what are the issues that happen? What are the dynamics of the relationship? We have that tendency in our country where a man does womanly things and we laugh about it or vice versa. This film is about a man who is not scared of doing what he does and a woman who is not scared of doing what she does.
How did you think of casting Arjun and Kareena?
I met Arjun and I was thinking about it, then somebody sent a picture from twitter of Arjun and Kareena coming out together out of some event and sent a message to Gauri saying please ask Balki to cast Kareena and Arjun together. At first I laughed it off but the next day I thought that this answers a lot of my questions. If you look at Kareena nobody will question her feminity even if she does anything manly and similarly nobody will question Arjun’s masculinity even if he does anything feminine. So doing something masculine without losing the feminity or vice versa is something only both of them could carry off.
How has it been working with Kareena?
She’s mind blowing and I’ve never seen a person switch on and switch off so easily! She’s the happiest person I’ve come across. She’s a truly happy person, she happy about everything in the world.
Your films are always so unique; look at films like Cheeni Kum or Paa, the bond and the relationships that you show are beautiful. How do you do that? Do you observe people a lot?
No I never observe people. I always go with what I want people to be rather than what people are. I never write stories about how people are; I always write stories about how people want to be. According to me films should be about something that makes people say ‘”Hey! I wish I was like that! I wish I thought like that or fell in love like that etc.” Films for me are a medium there.
So do you think Ki and Ka will be accepted and liked?
I really don’t know but it’s a good, light, happy and fun film and I am hoping people like it.
Have you ever cooked anything for your wife like Arjun has in the film?
Both of us can cook actually but since both of us are working, we have a person at home who’s both Ki and ka for us! He takes care of both of us, he cooks for both of us and he’s a great help so if you ask me who the Ki is and who’s the Ka in our home, it’s him!
What are some of the dishes that you can cook?
I cook all vegetarian stuff since I am vegetarian. I cook all South Indian food. Gauri loves fish so she can cook that.
Given a chance would you like to be a house husband?
If I was not making films I would love to do all the things that make a home and I am sure Gauri would love to do that too but she too is works.
