Rajkumar Hirani on why 'PK' featured an alien protagonist
What's the story
Renowned filmmaker Rajkumar Hirani recently opened up about his acclaimed film PK, starring Aamir Khan, and its extraterrestrial element. In an interview with Variety India, he revealed that the idea of using an alien in PK was incidental. "My reason to use one in PK was purely that if there's an alien who lands on Earth, he would know nothing about the way we see God."
Filmmaking philosophy
'Through his innocence, we'll be able to tell...'
Hirani further explained, "Through his innocence, we'll be able to tell a story about God in religions." The character was initially conceived as a Mowgli-like figure who grew up in the jungle without any knowledge of God. "He leaves the jungle after 20 years, nobody has told him what God is. So, he's very curious." "From there on, one fine day, that character became an alien."
Industry insight
Why are there so few children's films in India?
Hirani also addressed the decreasing number of children's films in India. "Studios hesitate to make a film because they might feel that there's not a market. But I always feel there's always one," he said. "For example, in Koi Mil Gaya and Krrish, Hrithik and Rakesh Roshan went ahead and made beautiful films for children." "Even for Chillar Party, director Nitesh Tiwari made a beautiful film." "At the same time, I remember that they were struggling to sell it."