Sujoy speaks on Aladdin

���We���ve learnt from Drona���s mistakes���
Aladin was supposed to be a Christmas 2008 release.
We couldn���t shoot a few of Amitabh Bachchan���s scenes in time. I was sure that if I missed Christmas, the film would definitely be in time for the summer vacations. I have to consider my target audience. Have you heard of Harry Potter being released at any time other than the vacations?���
You haven���t had any releases after Jhankaar Beats (2003) and Home Delivery (2005).
I���ve been working on Aladin for a long time. The film is heavy on visual effects and such films usually take around four years to be made. Pre-production for Aladin took around a year-and-a-half. You can be more relaxed with projects like Jhankaar Beats, but Aladin needed a lot of research and attention because there���s a lot of money at stake. I chose the film because it gave me scope to play with the visuals and I could tweak the story to suit the modern audience. So, I was prepared for a big-budget film.
Is it true that the Sippys backed out of the project because you overshot the budget?
S**t happens. But once the shoot began, it was all smooth. We���re now preparing for the release.
The movie���s visual effects are by Charles Darby, who���s worked on projects like Drona, Titanic, The Matrix and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, among others. Could Aladin suffer because of a VFX overload, like Drona and Love Story 2050?
If Drona and Love Story hadn���t been made, the doors wouldn���t have been open for Aladin. We���ve learnt from their mistakes. We have over 1,500 VFX shots, which include the most complex ones ever produced in India. Charles has been precise in bringing the film to life.
Reports say you considered Hrithik Roshan for the genie.
The character required someone who could carry off that larger-than-life image and Amitji can mould himself into any character. He also has a huge fan following across age groups. I never had Hrithik in mind.
What about the criticism that the Big B got after his Aag and Bhoothnath make-overs?
I never thought about his looks in his previous films or why they were criticised. It doesn���t mean jacks**t to me or my project.
Will Rekha and Amitabh Bachchan come together in Aladin?
There were no such plans at all.
Sanjay Dutt plays the villain in the film. Did his political career affect the shooting schedule?
The shooting schedules were never affected and I don���t think the promotions will be either. It may actually help establish a connect.
Will there be a sequel to the film?
Yes, we are planning Aladin 2.