Man on a mission

doweshowbellyad=0; Apoorva Lakhia. (TOI Photo)Apoorva Lakhia is a man on a new mission these days which keeps him on his toes. Well, the mission is actually his next film Mission Istanbul. When it comes to Uttarayan, Apoorva always makes sure to take out time to celebrate the festival in his home town, Ahmedabad.
Ask him about the major changes in the city and he says with a sense of pride, “The city has changed a lot.Roads have become broader and cleaner than before. The landscape is dotted with new malls and the city is prospering like never before. Ahmedabad is on a high and it feels good to see the progress.”
Apoorva is busy with the production of his film Mission Istanbul, an action flick. His last film Shootout at Lokhandwala, was a box-office hit. So will there be any pressure on him to prove himself again? “Filmmakers have to work under pressure, that comes with the job. But after the success of my last film, expectations have certainly gone up and Mission Istanbul is being talked about. In the film industry, you are as good as your last film,” he confesses.
The interesting thing about Mission Istanbul is that Apoorva’s close friend Abhishek Bachchan will be doing an item number in it. So what does Apoorva feel about Junior B’s dancing skills? “I think he is a fabulous dancer right from the beginning,” he says it diplomatically.
Apoorva is known for his rapport with his actors. So, does that help him as a director? “I am a guys’ guy. I think it is easier to work with people you know. One can work confidently with friends because there are no formal ties with them. I do a lot of homework before starting a film with my friends who work with me,” he grins.
His next film and Shootout at Lokhandwala have a common factor — Vivek Oberoi. Apoorva is all praise for Vivek. “Vivek is hungry to prove himself. He is a very good actor,” he points out.
And finally, what does the director feels about the present condition of the Gujarati film industry? “It is a pity that Gujarati films are not doing well. I think it is a vicious circle. Good movies are not coming up because of bad infrastructure, due to this quality of films also suffer,” he says.
So, what should be done to improve things? “The state government should take some initiative to improve the standard of the regional film industry. Other state governments are giving subsidies to regional filmmakers, I think even the Gujarat government should do something like this. They should approach Bollywood filmmakers to shoot in the state,” he says on a parting note.