Do you believe in dreams?

Dreams are a part of the reality that is life. I would be nothing if I had no dreams. But it is no use just having dreams. It is very important to pursue your dreams with passion without caring or worrying about anything. If it was the combination of my dreams and my determination to turn them to reality and the grace of God and the blessings of my parents. I would not be whatever I am today.

Did you always want to be an art director in films?

I never knew what art direction in films was all about when I was a boy. I was a painter and a photographer. I wanted to express myself, create things that did not exist and recreate things that existed in the distant past.

J J School of Arts was the school where you discovered yourself, where you found your ambition, your goal.

Yes, I owe a deep sense of gratitude to the school. It gave me a nobody from nowhere the scope to grow as a photographer, a painter, a man blessed with the talent which could work out any thing to meet the challenges of art. If it was not for J. J, I would have ended up as small time some body some where.

Was it easy getting into films?

I knew it was very difficult especially for a boy from Khopoli, but I was lucky to have found a "guruji" in Mr. Nitish Roy. He was a teacher who taught me all that I have learned when it comes to films. He did not only teach me, he also inspired me and guided me to take the right steps. He got me involved in the most difficult sets in serials like "Tamas" and a film like "Parinda". It was while working with him that I got aware of what art direction in films was and it was because of working with him that my work was noticed by Vidhu Vinod Chopraji who had the guts to give a new comer like me a big break in "1942 A Love story" and renewed his faith in me with all the other films directed by him which in a way gave me an identity as art director who knew his job.

Your track record shows that you have worked with almost all the leading directors who have come up in the last twenty years.

I don't know about their experiences with me but I must say that I have worked with people who know what quality work is. I must say all the directors I have worked with have known the worth of the art director who was otherwise considered just a "sutar' or a "setwala'. The directors I worked with knew the significance of an art director. They knew his job. They have all just told me what they wanted for their stories to make an impact. They explained their concept, even gave me their scripts to read and then gave me the freedom to give a go to my artistic expressions and the flow of my imagination. And let me tell you very frankly, not one of these big names interfered with my field of work unless it was very necessary.

All your directors have all the respect for you which I must say is a compliment. I have heard them telling me what they think of you and I think it is something that comes very rarely to a technician?

More than a compliment it is a source of great inspiration and encouragement when your directors place so much trust in you during the making of their most prestigious films which is like a matter of life and death for them. I am very privileged to be a part of their life I know is their work.

Do you have any favorites among your directors?

All of them are special to me. I am not at all trying to be a diplomat. I sincerely love working with the directors I work with when I know they are madly in love with their work and are able to make others fall in love with their own fields of work. I have worked with the best directors and learned from them. I have given them my best. We have a mutual admiration society, I appreciate mine. What more does an artist need to do good and inspiring work?

Do you think the art directors are getting their due respect these days?

It all depends on the quality of your work. If you do your work sincerely and with the general interest of the film and its makers in mind and the good of the industry as a whole no one can stop you from getting you the recognition and the reward you deserve.

When did the idea of building your own ND Studios take shape?

The day I realized the industry had given me so much more than I deserved I decided to give back something to the industry. And the first thing that came to my mind was building a studio with all the modern technology and all the other facilities to make every kind of film. I knew the conditions of the studios in Mumbai were in a bad shape and no one was doing anything about them. I saw studios closing down one after another. That is when I felt it was the right time to build my own studio.

Didn't you think it was a tough task for a young man who was still quite new to build the kind of studio you planned?

It was very difficult even thinking about it. But one I made up my mind I made it a point to go all out to build the best studio come what may.

How did you raise the funds? Wasn't it very tough for you to raise the kind of money needed to build a studio of this management?

I always believed what my parents taught me. They always said if you think of doing anything with the right intention and do it in the right way without causing damage to any one the chances of your failing or falling are very remote. I followed their teaching. The resources and the man power came and the encouragement came in from all over. I had to just stand by my own goal and I was lucky to see my dream worked out by me and my whole team turn into reality for hundreds of dreams to be fulfilled.

What are the highlights of ND studios?

If you ask me everything is a highlight but the main highlights are the main state of the art floor where every modern shooting facility in the world is available. Then there is the helipad and the helicopter service, the spacious grounds where any set can be created and the chalets and cottages built for the stars and directors. The make up rooms, the interiors and exteriors and everything else needed to make films in the right atmosphere are all there.

What is the response to your studio till now?

Overwhelming, to say the least. The studio is booked by Hindi films, Marathi films, TV serials, talk shows and I have filmmakers even coming from West, from Japan and other filmmaking countries who have heard about my studio.

Did you expect all this to happen some years ago?

Not in my wildest dreams. It is all His doing; I am only a worker who has followed Him.

What was your experience like during the building of the sets for "Jodhaa Akbar"?

I think it was one of the most difficult jobs I have done and I hope I have fulfilled the expectations of my friend Ashutosh who put his entire life into making of the film. You see my sets of any film I have worked on and then we will talk; I don't want to say anything just now.

What are your plans for your studio in the future?

I am not talking big, I have never been taught to, but I must say I want to make my studio the best among the best studios in the world. I am not doing all this for my glory or my gain. I am only trying to be a drop in the ocean of the industry and try to be a useful and worthy drop as far as possible.