Aamir Khan
, who made his debut as a director with the film ‘
Taare Zameen Par
’, is gearing up to treat movie lovers with his next highly anticipated project ‘
Sitaare Zameen Par
‘. Fans will always have a special place in their hearts for TZP because of its moving story, amazing performances and touching theme. The audience was particularly moved by
Tisca Chopra
‘s portrayal of
Maya Awasthi
, the mother of a dyslexic child named Ishaan (
Darsheel Safary
).
Tisca, who later pursued directing and producing the films, described her working experience in the film as an invaluable learning opportunity under Aamir’s guidance. In a recent candid conversation with
Siddharth Kannan
, Tisca said, “Aamir Khan was a school. I got to go to the Aamir Khan school of filmmaking. He was very meticulous even though it was his first film. He too was learning things and we were all a part of this process. He would involve us in blocking, shot division, choosing lenses, etc. I could relate to that kind of authenticity and love for cinema.”
She further added, “This was after the ’90s formulaic approach was over. Since the 2000s, with the arrival of Lagaan, Dil Chahta Hai etc., it was all about stories and performances. I felt a stronger connection to such works,” she added.
When asked if Aamir Khan, who is known as Mr Perfectionist because of his meticulousness, was a difficult person to work with. To which, Tisca Chopra replied she never felt that way. “Because I too am meticulous and I like that kind of working style. In fact, I ended up irritating him by asking for retakes of my shots often, saying I could do it better. It was a wonderful experience. He worked so hard on each and every part of it to the point that it couldn’t be bettered any more,” she said.
Tisca further heaped praises on ‘Taare Zameen Par’ as she added, “Not only did it change my career path and garner me international recognition, but it also brought about many changes in the education system and inclusivity. It also proved that there’s a sweet spot between creativity and commerce.”
She even recalled her preparation for the role of Maya, the actress said, “It involved such ridiculous preparation, all thanks to the genius of Aamir Khan. I was the last among the four to be cast. Darsheel, Sachet (who played Ishaan’s brother Yohan) and Viipn Sharma (who portrayed Ishaan and Yohan’s father) were already on board. Darsheel was 8-9, and Sachet was 11. Once I became a part, they began pulling my leg since I was a ‘newcomer’. They were doing all sorts of mischievous things to me. One day, I got so frustrated that I pinned them down, put a sofa cushion over the two, and sat on them. That’s when they started respecting me.”
She cited another incident regarding Aamir Khan in reference to the emotional effect ‘Taare Zameen Par’ has on viewers. “One day Aamir called me and said that we should have sold tissue papers also with the film’s tickets so that we could have made double the money. Even Karan Johar was teary-eyed after watching the film,” she added.
On the work front, Tisca Chopra was last seen in her recently released OTT film ‘Murder Mubarak’.
Tisca Chopra steps out in a chic outfit