Atif Khan the acclaimed Director has spearheaded many successful and well-made shows.
Working with a Producer like Gul Khan (4 Lions Films) has indeed given Atif the freedom to think, innovate, decide and execute.
In an exclusive interview with IWMBuzz.com, Atif Khan talks of his journey as Director and on his two present projects Imlie and Namak Issk Ka.
Excerpts:
You are presently directing two different kinds of shows in Imlie and Namak Issk Ka. How has the journey been?
Doing both the shows simultaneously is a bit tricky task. Both the shows are different in terms of telling, styling and execution. Imlie is very simple, subtle, rustic, and realistic while Namak Issk Ka is a larger than life, masala, pulp fiction. Both have their own charm. It’s an opportunity of a lifetime and I am enjoying it.
You have equally worked a lot on the romance as well as the thriller shows. What is your forte of work when it comes to the genre?
‘Romantic thriller’ … yeah .. we started that in Nazar. Nazar was a complete supernatural show, but we somehow pulled out the romance element between the lead pair. The same happened in Yehh Jaadu Hai Jinn Ka. I personally don’t like the kind of romance we do in TV. Those slow-mo high-speed shots, the eye lock, wind, curtain flying.. uff that’s too boring. The situational romance which we discovered in Nazar and Jaadu is something I personally like to do. And we are following that in Imlie too.
Tell us about your career as a whole. What have been your best memories?
I started as a co-director in Ishqbaaaz. I later moved to Dil Boley Oberoi and Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon 3 as Director. After that, Nazar happened and my whole perspective towards directing a TV show changed with it. It was a different kind of experience. After Nazar there was no looking back. I have been part of shows Yehh Jaadu Hai Jinn Ka, Imlie and Namak Issk Ka.
In all the shows, Nazar is very close to me and my team. We’ve learned and groomed ourselves a lot with the experience.
Does a Director on television get his/her due credit? Take us through the hardships involved.
Directing a TV show is like cooking a dish without having a choice to select your ingredients. In most of the production houses, the director has no or very little say in story and scripts. They can’t even edit and finalize their scenes. They just execute whatever is written in the best possible way.
In my case, I am working with a Producer (Gul Khan and banner 4 Lions Films) who herself was a great director. So, she understands and gives freedom in every aspect of the craft, right from the casting to the final episode.
Imlie has in a quick time become one of the top shows across GECs. Take us through the process of directing this concept?
Imlie is an adaptation of a Bengali TV show. When we were told that we are going to adapt to this show, we saw some episodes. The show was simple and high on emotions. After doing Nazar and Yehh Jaadu Hai Jinn Ka, it was too difficult for the team to switch from supernatural high octane drama to simple family daily soap opera. It was a challenge to tell a simple story in a stylish way. We took the challenge and everything fell into place.
We have a great team. I along with our Creative Director and DOP finalized the look and feel. The music director made fantastic tunes and background scores. Writers pull off brilliant script backed by a fantastic cast. Sumbul, Gashmeer, Mayuri, Ritu, Kiran, literally the complete cast of the show has been bang on. We kept it simple and relatable, and people did connect with it.
How easy or tough is it to groom a newcomer for the tough requirement of TV? Talk us through the hard work that Sumbul Touqeer has put in?
We didn’t have to groom her, she’s a born actor. We are very lucky to find her. She’s natural, hardworking and a very honest actor.
How do you approach working differently as Director with an experienced lead and a fresh face as lead?
There’s no difference in approach. For a director every actor is equal, be it a fresh actor or experienced. If he or she doesn’t portray the correct emotion or character, that’s where a director makes it work.
Has the role of a Director changed with time on TV?
For me, yes, it has changed a lot. In my initial days, I read the scripts, choreographed, executed, and shot the scenes. There was no pre and post involved. But now I look after a project in its entirety. Right from the casting, shoot, edit, post, music everything. The work is tiring but it is very satisfying.
Take us through your best work so far.
I like everything I did right from Ishqbaaaz to Dil Boley Oberoi and IPKKND-3. Yet Nazar and Jaadu were more challenging and difficult to execute. But it was a different kind of experience. I personally love Imlie as it’s very simple and heart touching.
How easy or tough has it become for TV Directors to keep the audience hooked to the show, with the advent of the growing web medium?
It’s very tough to keep the audience hooked. If you don’t make every scene engaging and entertaining, the audience will switch to another channel in a jiffy. Web and TV are still by far two different mediums and have a different viewership. In my opinion, TV is the most difficult medium.
Will you like to work for the web in the future?
I’ve been offered a couple of series, but I want to work on my own script. My team is working on two to three subjects. Will soon finalize and start working on it.
What about producing your own show?
No plans yet…
