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‘This is where I grew up. The only business I know is cinema.’
Photograph: Kind courtesy Khushboo Sundar/Instagram
Film producer and politician Khushboo Sundar is ecstatic with the blockbuster success of her Tamil film, Aranmanai 4.
The fourth instalment in the popular franchise is helmed by her husband, Sundar C, who also acted in it alongside Tamannaah Bhatia and Raashii Khanna.
Of her many career roles, Khushboo is known for acting in close to 200 films in her over three decade-long journey.
After mostly keeping away from the camera after her marriage, she is now looking forward to renewing her relationship with acting.
“I have been getting offers, but I am waiting for something very, very, interesting to come my way,” Khushboo tells Mayur Sanap/Rediff.com.
At the press conference of Aranmanai 4, you said that your production house has a 90 per cent success rate. What’s the secret sauce there?
Our process is slightly different.
We don’t start thinking who’s going to star in the film and when do we start and when do we finish.
When we have the content ready we decide which actor suits the role and we go by that.
Secondly, even when we are doing the production, we always work on the budget as we need to finish it on time.
As a producer, the most important thing to see profits is to make sure that your work goes according to the plan.
Your planning is everything.
My husband is a master in that and that is why we see the success rate.
How do you gauge the pulse of the audience in terms of what do they want to see?
You just need to understand and be updated with the trend, what is happening and what are the likes and dislikes of people.
Learn from the films which haven’t done well, learn from the films which have done well.
You just need to keep yourself updated with the current happenings and the choice of the audience going to theatres.
IMAGE: On the sets of Aranmanai 4, Simran, Khushboo, Choreographer Brinda Parameshwar and Director Sundar C.
Simran and Kushboo made a special appearance in the song Amman. Photograph: Kind courtesy Khushboo Sundar/Instagram
While working with your husband, Sundar C, is it tough to play dual role of producer and wife?
It’s very clear. I have 200 per cent trust in my husband. Because for us, it’s finally the family which needs to come together.
Film aaj banegi, kal nahi banegi, aaj chalegi, kal nahi chalegi. It’s important that we trust each other as a couple.
He’s very clear in what he’s doing; it does not affect our relationship as husband and wife.
Mainly because we don’t take work home. There have been times when he probably is upset over something and he comes home, I sense that. And I know that where I have to stop.
I don’t think he’s ever given me a chance to question him as to why it’s so much money spent or what he’s doing.
IMAGE: Khushboo with husband Sundar C and daughters Avantika and Anandita. Photograph: Kind courtesy Khushboo Sundar/Instagram
It’s been a while since you acted in a film, and now that your daughters are grown up, would you consider a comeback?
(Laughs) I had never stopped acting. But yes, I did reduce the number of films I was doing before.
Next year, we’ll be celebrating the silver jubilee of our marriage. In 25 years, I’ve hardly done 10 films.
My priorities were my family. Now my girls do tell me that I should go back and do films, especially now with the kind of films that are being made with a lot of women centric subjects and the platform of OTT what we have.
But I’m extremely choosy in what I want to do.
I wouldn’t say a comeback, but if I have to do something, it has to leave a mark. I just don’t want to get lost in the crowd, or just be part of it because everybody is part of it.
I have been getting offers, but I am waiting for something very, very, interesting to come my way.
Is there any political figure that you would like to portray in films?
No, definitely not. I am not somebody who would love to do a biopic.
I am that confetti throwing and coin throwing audience in the crowd. I love to sit and whistle and clap, that is how I am.
I know you have you do films where it challenges your sensibilities, but then I also would love to do films which are just about entertainment.
IMAGE: Khushboo with Govinda. Photograph: Kind courtesy Khushboo Sundar/Instagram
Drawing from your own experiences, what are the similarities between the film industry and politics?
Both worlds are as different as chalk and cheese.
Here you portray a character which is larger than life, you imagine, it’s created by someone; whereas in politics you just have to be yourself. You can’t act. If you do, people will catch it.
Films have been my bread, butter and jam. This is where I grew up. I don’t know any other business and the only business I know is cinema.
I have a special connection with films and I have stayed in touch with very few people from Mumbai like Anil Kapoorji, Boneyji (Kapoor), Govinda, Madhur Bhandarkar and so many others.
It’s very different from the kind of people you meet in politics. But I always say that politics has nothing to do with which political party you belong; you remain friends.
I have some wonderful friends in the Congress, DMK and AIADMK.
IMAGE: Khushboo and Sundar. Photograph: Kind courtesy Khushboo Sundar/Instagram
You started your acting journey in Hindi cinema before finding your home in Chennai. Do you miss speaking in Hindi?
I don’t miss speaking in Hindi per se.
I speak Urdu at home. Even my children speak Urdu; my mom and my entire family speaks Urdu.
Of course, at my husband’s place we speak English and Tamil.
What are your views on the current landscape of Hindi cinema?
The kind of films that are being made now in Hindi is brilliant. They had lost the track in between. but now it’s fantastic.
I loved Crew, I loved Karan Johar’s last film (Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani). I watched that one in cinemas.
I love Rajkumar Hirani’s films. I love the grandeur that Sanjay Leela Bhansali gives.
Yes, you do have some films which don’t make sense at all, but that’s everywhere.
