Easier to direct film than TV show: Farah Khan

Choreographer-filmmaker Farah Khan, who has movies like "Main Hoon Na" and "Om Shanti Om" to her credit, says she feels it is easier to direct a movie than going behind the camera for a TV series.

Farah is now gearing up for the ninth season of dance reality TV show "Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa".

"To direct a TV show is a killer job. I think it's easier to direct a film because with TV, there are no timings, and with my kids, I don't think I can do that."

"I'm happy directing movies because I get to take break for two years," the mother of triplets told IANS here.

Farah has earlier hosted a chat show on TV and has even been a judge on reality shows. She is happy with how the small screen medium has progressed.

"I watch only reality shows, but it is great they (fiction shows) are having seasons. I am not the audience for the shows that go on and on," she said.

"If it's a season, I just download the entire season and watch. When I see the quality of shows even on TV, they are big-budgeted. TV serial are looking better and TV industry is booming," she added.

On "Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa" -- where celebrities fight it out with each other on the dance floor -- Farah plans to be brutally honest, even blunt, as a judge.

"I think the candidness is what people appreciate. They know that I am not bullshi**ing, and if I am giving certain marks, it will be based on the merit and not because I know the person."

"Its not difficult for me... The difficulty lies in how to sugarcoat it and put it to them (contestants). I am normally brutally blunt. I have to tell the truth and I have to judge them for what they are," she said.

Farah said since all contestants want to push the envelope, the competition this year will be tough.

"I saw the first episode and 9 out of 10 people were dancing well. It's like the celebrity contestants have upped their dancing quotient and are getting better choreographers. Everybody is wanting to push the envelope."

Off the cameras and her work as a director, Farah enjoys the social media space.

While trolling celebrities has become a trend of sorts, Farah says she has a way of dealing with trollers.

"I block them for sure. Sometimes I abuse them before blocking them. I send them a Direct Message, abuse them and correct their spellings and grammar... Because most of them don't know how to write, but they have many abuses to give. So I abuse them back and then I block them."

She says her tolerance was higher when she joined Twitter.

"Earlier when I was new on Twitter, it used to get to me, but now it's not the same. I give it back. There are people who also compliment and that feels good, so I reply to them as well," she added.

--IANS

Uma/rb/vt