While filmmaker Zoya Akhtar's debut flick LUCK BY CHANCE gained her enough critical acclaim and recognition, commercially it couldn't do well. Now, it seems her second outing ZINDAGI NA MILEGI DOBARA is eagerly awaited. Reason? ZNMD boasts of big stars and actors like Hrithik Roshan, Katrina Kaif, Farhan Akhtar, Abhay Deol and Kalki Koechlin.
Zoya says, 'Hrithik Roshan is my favourite actor and he was a part of my first film LUCK BY CHANCE as well. Even if I was making a 1 crore film I would have approached Hrithik. Kalki is a very interesting actress and edgy. Farhan and Abhay are really intelligent actors and who wouldn't love to work with such talented lot?'
Quite surprisingly Katrina came in much later while rest of the cast was already finalised. In fact, Zoya even auditioned a lot of women before roping in the beautiful actress - Katrina Kaif. Reveals Zoya, 'Yes that's true we auditioned a lot of women before finalising Katrina. Actually we needed a half Indian and half Caucatian girl, who would be willing to ride a bike, scuba dive and one who is physically fit. I tested a lot of people from New york and London but nothing really interested me. Also, I didn't know Katrina at all, till I met her at a party. It was only at that time I realised 'Sh*t man. What am I doing. She is the one I was looking for'.'
Leaving aside the commercial aspect, ZNMD star cast is made up of actors, who come from different worlds. But Zoya considers it to be ideal combination of cast and quite elated to bring them together.
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'Isn't it interesting to cast people that make a heady mix? When you put actors together who don't usually come together or who come from different school of acting there's new dynamic and a new energy formed. Though they come from different worlds and have a different sense and styles of working, they do look like they belong together on a poster. And I think it's quite fun and exciting to have them together. Someone should take initiative to attempt something new. So why not me?' says the excited Zoya.
Zoya Akhtar's ZNMD, which is touted as guys' flick, does have scope for women as well. She says, 'Of course they do. You take any example RANG DE BASANTI or DIL CHAHTA HAI or ROCK ON or any boys film the women have very pertinent parts. I mean I don't write bad characters for women.'
Zoya is quite fond of films on raod trips and from long time she was looking forward to do something on similar lines and then ZINDAGI happened. 'I love roadtrips. And I have always wanted to do a film on road trips. My first film LUCK BY CHANCE was very interior movie set in Mumbai. So this time around I wanted go outdoors. I wanted to do something visually completely different. Reema Kagti, my co-writer, and me started talking discussing about it and the idea just came in. It is the fastest script written - just 3 months,' concludes the filmmaker.
