Farhan Akhtar had only recently seen Margarita, with a Straw when he got approached for The Sky Is Pink.
Shonali Bose’s 2014 film — about an Indian teenager with cerebral palsy in New York — had deeply affected Farhan.
So when producer Siddharth Roy Kapur called him up ten days later, enquiring if he’d be interested to hear Shonali’s new script, Farhan took it as a ‘cosmic sign’. “My first level was interest was that Shonali Bose was directing it,” he said. “Then, when I read the script for the first time, I was absolutely convinced.”
The Sky is Pink tells the story of Niren and Aditi Chaudhary. Their daughter, Aisha, was born with Severe Combined Immunodeficiency (SCID), a rare genetic disorder.
She underwent bone marrow transplant when she was six months old, contracting pulmonary fibrosis as a side effect.
Aisha passed away aged 18 in 2015, having published her memoir My Little Epiphanies and delivered inspirational talks at Tedx and INK.
“I was moved by the love this couple had for their children — from sacrificing their careers to moving to London (for Aisha’s treatment) when they couldn’t afford to. Being a parent myself, I could identify with their selflessness.”
Farhan said. “Secondly, the pain of knowing your child is going to pass away is unimaginable. Yet, the Chaudhary's always lived with grace and dignity. They gave Aisha a normal, happy, joyous upbringing and never made her feel any different.”
While preparing for the film, Shonali did not want Farhan to meet the real Niren Chaudhary. The director was afraid Farhan might get influenced and start imitating him.
“She wanted me to portray his spirit and create my own Niren. Luckily, I was given enough research material to work with, both in the written word and as filmed interviews of the family.”
Priyanka Chopra, who plays Aditi Chaudhary, had similar instructions. Farhan had directed Priyanka in the Don movies and co-starred with her in Dil Dhadakne Do. On reuniting with Priyanka, Farhan said, “It feels like nothing has changed.
There’s an ease and comfort we share as collaborators. I am especially happy that Priyanka has produced this film too (under her banner Purple Pebble Pictures). It marks a nice full circle for both of us.”
Earlier this year, Farhan announced his reunion with Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra for a boxing drama. The duo had previously collaborated on Bhaag Milkha Bhaag (2013), a biopic on Indian Olympian Milkha Singh.
In Toofan, which is directed by Rakeysh and written by Anjum Rajabali, Farhan essays a fictional boxer on his path to win a fight. The actor was trained in the sport by boxer Drew Neal and action choreographer Darrell Foster (Ali, Bleed For This).
“It was a double whammy to work with Rakeysh on another sports film. I have never boxed in my life. it’s a demanding discipline, but it also makes you strong.”
On the appeal of boxing films as a genre, Farhan noted, “A boxer’s journey is deeply cinematic. There are certain metaphors of life in it. Boxing is not a rich man’s sport. All champions the world over have come from the poorest of the poor. For them, the sport has been the way to find a better life. So it’s the ultimate struggle — of putting yourself physically on the line and using your fists to prove your worth.”
Farhan’s home production, Gully Boy, has been selected as India’s official entry for the Oscars. Directed by Zoya Akhtar, the film stars Ranveer Singh as an aspiring rapper from Dharavi in Mumbai.
Gully Boy figures among the 93 international titles submitted for the Best Foreign Language Film Award.
Its competitors include Bong Joon Ho’s Parasite, Pedro Almodovar’s Pain and Glory and Chiwetel Ejiofor’s directorial debut The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind.
“We will definitely go in as prepared as we can for our Oscar campaign,” Farhan assured. “Our intent is to make sure Gully Boy gets the best possible shot to make to the final nomination list.”