‘I Knew It Had To Be Salman In The Lead’

He has been living with Bodyguard for over five years. He’s made the same film in Malayalam, Tamil and now in Hindi—each time with a different cast. Finally, Malayali filmmaker Siddique begged off directing the Telugu remake. Many of his Malayalam hits, breezy comedies all, have been remade in Hindi, like Hera Pheri and Hulchul by Priyadarshan. He started out as a mimicry artiste with a travelling troupe in Kerala in the ’80s. He’s used this instinct in his comedies—most too slapstick for the critics, but always getting the fans rolling in the aisles. Minu Ittyipe finds Siddique closeted in the solitude of his modest suburban Kochi home, far removed from the madding glare of Bollywood. He’s only too aware of the Bodyguard hangover—he calculates it will perhaps clot his creative process for another year. “Peace and quiet are great remedies,” he says in his unassuming manner. “I need to observe and get back into the writing groove soon.” Excerpts:

(From left) Salman Khan in Bodyguard; the Malayalam original; the Tamil remake Kaavalan

Making the same film in three different languages. Wasn’t it tedious?

I made changes to the character each time. In the Malayalam film, the protagonist is the boy-next-door, who aspires to be a bodyguard. In the Tamil Kaavalan, he is duty-bound to be the heroine’s bodyguard and in the Hindi version, he’s a bodyguard by profession. They were very different experiences.

Did you find it difficult to direct a Hindi film when you could not speak the language?

Though I cannot speak Hindi, I could understand what they were emoting because I had done the film before. After this film, it’ll be a lot easier for me.

Some of your best Malayalam films have been adapted into Hindi by Priyadarshan, like Hera Pheri, Hulchul and Dhol. Why did you not enter Bollywood before?

I had been invited by Shogun Films to Bollywood earlier, but I was uncomfortable then. I had to understand the culture and style first. And I had to wait for a universal subject that the audiences in the north could identify with.

When you write your stories, do you do so with a particular actor in mind?

That doesn’t happen all the time. While making Bodyguard in Malayalam, I did not have anyone in particular in mind. But I knew if I was to make a Hindi version, it had to be with Salman Khan in the lead. I sent the Malayalam version with subtitles to him and he liked it.

You were a mimicry artiste in Ernakulam. All your co-artists are now actors. Do you have any plans to appear in front of the camera?

My stage experience has been a big help. I have no plans to act. The subverted actor in me makes me draw out the best performances from the other artistes.

All your films are comedies or light family entertainers. Why is that?

I come from a joint family where everyone used to joke all the time. They’d turn a problem into something humourous and laugh about it. I’m built that way; I look at the lighter side of things.

Critics always pan your brand of films. Does that bother you?

Critics think within a particular frame, but the audience immediately understands the freshness of a subject. As long as it is not visually jerky and there is a smooth flow of sequence, I believe I do not have to confine myself to one particular genre. I like to mix genres.

Will you always test your films in Kerala first?

All consumer products are tested in the Kerala market first. It is safer to do it in Malayalam because of the low budget. But I am willing to do fresh subjects in other languages too.

Have you received more offers from Bollywood?

There are talks, but nothing has been finalised yet. If I were to direct a film, I’d like to be involved in the script too.

But certainly no more Bodyguards?

Yes, no more Bodyguards.