Farah Khan is one of the few female directors who have broken the myth that a woman can't helm masala movies. The director, who has churned out blockbusters like Main Hoon Naa and Om Shanti Om, says in a "sexist country" she has proved that a woman can do it better.
Her latest film Happy New Year, starring Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone, Abhishek Bachchan, Jackie Shroff, Boman Irani, Sonu Sood and Vivaan Shah, has earned a record Rs 44.97 crore on the opening day of its release.
"We knew it would do well because it has Shah Rukh, Deepika and me. It's a big movie. The songs were doing well, there was great energy and positive buzz about it. We knew it would get a big opening, but this big! Nobody knew even the trade experts are in shock I think," Farah, also a choreographer, told IANS on phone from Mumbai.
"We live in a sexist country where women are put down, treated badly and told that they can't do things that men do. Being a woman, numbers have come like this. Not only a woman director, but no male director has also got this kind of an opening. So, we should definitely celebrate it," said the director, who is married to filmmaker Shirish Kunder.
"I don't want to be pressurised by any critic who thinks that I should make certain type of movie, which is slow, boring and so-called sensitive and I shouldn't be making this because this is a man's territory. I will do it and do better than a man," she said.
"It's very easy to please five critics, but very difficult to please the entire nation which is so diverse in its thoughts, behaviour and likes," she added.
"My biggest pressure was what to do in the credit roll because everybody waits for that. I always feel the credit roll has to go with the theme of the movie like Om Shanti Om was about movies, so we had a premiere at the end.
Right now, she is in the mood to celebrate the success of the heist drama.
And post parties, it'd be family time.
"I'll go on a long holiday with my kids and husband to London for Christmas," said Farah.
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