If you thought "Black" was a small film with a depressing theme, you are wrong. So says director Sanjay Leela Bhansali.

"Contrary to the title, 'Black' isn't depressing at all. It's an uplifting tale on the triumph of the human spirit," tells Bhansali, the award-winning director of "Devdas" in an interview.

He also promised that the performances of Amitabh Bachchan and Rani Mukherjee in the soon-to-be released film would be remembered for a long time. Excerpts:

Q: Black takes you completely away from "Devdas".
A: It's a conscious process of rejuvenation as a filmmaker. I had to reinvent myself as a creative person. For example, my cameraperson in "Black" is Ravi Chandran. I had to work extensively with all my actors before shooting started. With Amitji I had to get over my awe of him before I could get to a comfort level.

I had to learn to take him into confidence rather than look up to him. Because neither he nor I had done anything like "Black" earlier. Fortunately he's one of finest human beings I know, so communication was easy.

Q: Do you think "Black" has the potential to create the same impact as "Devdas"?
A: Creation is about being fully alive. The whole nation has a heart. If a film has a heart it will reach out to everyone. Contrary to the title, "Black" isn't depressing at all. It's an uplifting tale on the triumph of the human spirit.

Incidentally, black is my favourite colour and it's got a universal resonance. I think it's a powerful, striking colour, which describes the film's sensitivities.

Let me add that "Black" isn't a small project that I've squeezed into my schedule. Certainly not! How can any film with Amitabh Bachchan be small? It's going to be a very important film in my oeuvre. And Amitji's and Rani's performances will be remembered for a very, very long time.

Q: The film gives Bachchan a completely new persona and impetus.
A: I'm grateful to Amitji for accommodating my film into his busy schedule. It's fascinating to know that even today filmmakers are devising projects with him in mind. I think that makes him the greatest star-actor of our country. I've been his diehard fan from childhood.

Ever since I started making movies it was my dream to work with him. Even my first film, "Khamoshi", was written for Amitabh and Jaya Bachchan. But at that point of time he had taken a break from acting and I felt with a baritone like his, he'd never come back with a role that required him to be mute. For the fear of rejection I never approached him. But let me tell you, during "Khamoshi" I had already started to plan "Black".

Q: "Black" is ready for release. How does it feel?
A: Like delivering another baby (laughs). I'm relieved, ecstatic and tense as it goes into the world. Initially it was very tough making a film without songs. I can't survive without songs. I listen to Lataji at least four to five hours a day. For me a film without songs was inconceivable before "Black".

But I wanted the challenge of attracting the audience without my habitual leitmotif. The presence of India's greatest star-actor Amitabh Bachchan helped me immensely. I've realised there's no actor like him in Indian cinema. I've three idols - Lata Mangeshkar, Birju Maharaj and Amitabh Bachchan. And I'm proud to say I've worked with two of them.

Q: Isn't Rani outstanding in "Black"?
A: Yes, I signed her for both "Black" and "Bajirao Mastani". She's a fabulous actress. It was wonderful to put her on screen with Amitji. "Black" offers her a range that actresses only dream about. Rani and I are very good friends. That helped in getting a quality of performance out of her that I cannot describe in words. It's arguably the best performance I've got from an actor, after Amitji.

Q: And what about Aishwarya Rai?
A: What about her? Of course, we've met socially, and we're very close friends.

Q: "Black" departs from "Devdas" almost diametrically.
A: It was a spontaneous decision. After "Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam" and "Devdas" I could've easily planned another film in the romantic genre. But I felt like moving away. My audience wants me to move on. "Black" is a subject I've lived with for six years. I just had to make it.

Though "Black" has no songs it's treated musically. The lyricism is inherent in the scenes, which look like song sequences. A song isn't the only way to interpret the lyricism. I didn't miss songs in "Black". They would've been a hindrance to the narrative.