The intriguing documentary Yo Yo Honey Singh: Famous will be out tomorrow, December 20, on Netflix and on this occasion, its director Mozez Singh spoke exclusively with Bollywood Hungama about his experience of making it and a lot more.
EXCLUSIVE: Will Shah Rukh Khan feature in Yo Yo Honey Singh’s documentary? Mozez Singh keeps the mystery alive; opens up on shooting with Salman Khan: “He gave us a lot of time; was INCREDIBLY supportive”
What made you give such a title to the documentary?
It took us a long time to crack the title of the film. Everybody’s life is filled with so many things but the reason why we decided on Famous is that the film is about the idea of fame, its good and bad side and what it means to be actually famous. It is also about the prices you have to pay when fame can become a bit too much. Hence, we thought that it was an apt title in every way. The life of Yo Yo Honey Singh, as we know him, is defined by fame. Secondly, he’s just famous and hence the title (smiles).
How did you get involved with the project?
The idea to make this documentary was not mine. Raghav Khanna, who then ran Netflix Asia out of Singapore, approached me. By then, they had already had a conversation with Yo Yo. When Raghav called me, I told him that the subject was great and that I was the wrong person to direct it as I had never tried a documentary before. But he reasoned that since the documentary is also about music, he wanted me to handle it as he felt that I treated the music well in my film Zubaan (2016). He was also looking specifically for a fiction director to handle documentaries. I found their approach interesting, and I decided to take the plunge. Moreover, Yo Yo seemed like an interesting person. The other reason was that I always wanted to make a film on a rockstar.
Tell us about the process of forming a bond with Yo Yo Honey Singh
Sikhya Entertainment came on board which was great as they had produced Zubaan. So, it was like working with family. I was also keen to meet Yo Yo before we started filming. For him to open up about whatever I asked him for, I have to say that it’s one of the USPs of the film. He has been so brave, honest and forthcoming with everything I asked him. We didn’t know each other and it takes time to build trust. Hence, it was a gradual process. He trusted me very early on in the project and that was one of the greatest gifts I had on this project.
Did he ask you to remove any part from the documentary?
I ask him everything possible as that’s my job. I had to get to the heart of the man and needed to know everything. I let it up to him whether or not he wanted to answer a few things. As a filmmaker, I could only push beyond a point but at the end of the day, I am also a human being. I need to have empathy for the person whom I am talking to. I had decided that if I asked him any question and he didn’t want to answer despite my asking it repeatedly, then I had to respect it and let it go. Fortunately, he answered everything!
How was it shooting with Salman Khan? His glimpse can be seen in the trailer…
Salman was just amazing. He was so supportive as he gave us a lot of time. I shot a very long interview with him. Unfortunately, we could only use bits of it. We have shot a lot of material for this film, most of which we can’t even use due to length constraints. However, we used the best bits of what we had.
Yo Yo Honey Singh also had a great collaboration with Shah Rukh Khan. The song ‘Lungi Dance’ became a huge hit. Can we expect Shah Rukh Khan’s bytes as well?
You’ll have to watch the film for that (laughs).
Has Yo Yo Honey Singh seen the documentary?
Yes. He was the first person I showed it to once we locked the edit. After the screening was over, I asked him if he wanted any changes. He hugged me and said, ‘It’s perfect’. It was a really beautiful moment.
Also Read: Yo Yo Honey Singh Famous trailer out: Singer-rapper chronicles his rise and struggles; Salman Khan makes special appearance
BOLLYWOOD NEWS – LIVE UPDATES
Catch us for latest Bollywood News, New Bollywood Movies update, Box office collection, New Movies Release , Bollywood News Hindi, Entertainment News, Bollywood Live News Today & Upcoming Movies 2024 and stay updated with latest hindi movies only on Bollywood Hungama.
