In a new Film Companion exclusive, Riteish Deshmukh and Genelia Deshmukh speak to Anupama Chopra about the blockbuster success of their film Ved that broke multiple records in Marathi cinema, the rules of engagement in their relationship, and who is the brains behind their viral reels on social media.
About the success of Ved and the days leading up to the film’s release, Riteish says,“More than happiness there is a huge sense of relief now. A few weeks before the release everything came on to us. We didn’t have studios or distributors backing us.
Ved was made at a higher budget than your average Marathi film so our recoveries were different. So we were all in as a gamble. So the euphoria hasn’t set in yet but there’s a huge sense of relief.”
Ved also marks the debut of Riteish as a director. He says, “I thought people would laugh at me if I told them I wanted to direct – the only confidant I had was Genelia. So to decide I wanted to direct was actually the most terrifying part. I’m not born into the world of cinema to be able to understand the nuances of it. I remember I used to go on Karan Johar’s outdoor sets for films like Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna where I stayed for 15 days and just watched Shah Rukh act and understand the craft.”
Genelia Deshmukh lets us in on the rules of engagement when working with ones spouse. She shares, “We discuss films a lot at home because it’s pretty much our lives but we have now tried to implement a rule at home where we don’t allow mobile phones during meals. If we want our kids to focus on their food, we as parents need to lead by example.
But I wonder why people find it so difficult to work with their spouses because there’s no one in the world Riteish trusts more than me and vice versa. If you respect each other enough then you know where to draw your lines. That’s where the maturity comes from.”
When asked about their viral reels and how they started, Genelia says, “When we first started creating content it was for Tik Tok. When Riteish started making these during the pandemic it would really annoy me. Soon he started involving me in them as well and initially I only did it because he asked me to. But soon I found my space on it and started enjoying it. Today I feel half my auditions are given through this!”
