Shonali Bose's The Sky is Pink is a film based on the Chaudhary family which faced a lot of trouble due to Niren and Aditi's daughter, Aisha's health conditions. Starring Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Farhan Akhtar, Rohit Saraf and Zaira Wasim, the film strives to tell us what life is all about, thereby inspiring us in many ways.
In a recent conversation, Farhan Akhtar shared his thoughts about the role, film and a lot more. Talking about if this was an emotional experience for him, he said, "It was not emotionally draining and the story is real. The way Niren and Aditi have approached Aisha's life is inspirational. They did not give up on her life and focus on negative. They thought about her life for that day. It is an uplifting film which teaches a lot. Just like every film, this had its own challenges. I have not played a role like this before and it is special because it is based on someone who is alive. They have invested their trust in Shonali and us, and have given us a chance to show their story, one which they went through during the tough time. Just letting us portray this is very special and important. If you ask me if it is difficult to play someone who is alive, then I'd say, Absolutely. It comes with responsibility and I wanted to be true to my art. They should know that I have given my best and honestly portrayed my role."
Farhan is a father of two and so we assume relating to this role would have been easy. On being asked if being a real life father help in playing such characters, he said, "Yes. It definitely does as I understand the chemistry and a relationship parent and children share. It helps us channelise the emotions and react to situations. What Niren and Aditi taught us is to be strong, and deal with situations. They faced a lot of problems and played a testament to many other parents. What they taught was to never give up and keep fighting. It helped us connect because every parent does that."
The characters he has played and produced through films have a lot of connect with the audience. Understanding if relatability and realism is a must for him in every project, he chooses, both as a producer and an actor, he added, "It is very important for me to have relatability in the film, otherwise the role and the subject won't be interesting and it might become a 'dry' film. It would as if one is watching only the technical aspects. One needs to come across a story that touches the hearts and connects with the audience. Such stories help in making the film entertaining and important for the audience. Having said that, I don't think realism is important. Films in other genres like fantasy drama, sci-fi films etc., do not have realism, but the audience can relate to whatever is being shown and that is important."
His partnership with Ritesh Sidhwani in Excel Entertainment has been a huge success and the duo has produced many incredible shows and films so far. Concluding the conversation by telling us their secret to success, he said, "It is evident audience's preference, taste and viewing pattern is changing; and it is important for both Ritesh and me to be a part of stories which one would like to watch. Content consumption is important and we want to stay ahead of the curve, and we are learning with that as well. We connect with those stories and we keep learning with every script we produce, and interact with the audience."