|
|
|
|
From
Tehelka Magazine, Vol 9, Issue 36, Dated 08 Sept 2012 |
|
| CULTURE & SOCIETY |
|
PSYCHOLOGIES |
|
‘I make films, not entertainment products’
WHO Lucknow-born Sudhir Mishra is an award-winning director, filmmaker and screenwriter. He is based in Mumbai and is best known for directing critically acclaimed films such as Dharavi, Chameli, Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi.
 |
|
Sudhir Mishra, 53, Filmmaker
Photo: Shailendra Pandey |
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
Does your cinema have a particular message?
I have this funny feeling that the world we live in has the potential to be a much better one. There’s a little thing called duty, a small price to pay for the privilege of being a part of it. A sense of responsibility compels me. The world is as good or bad as I am. I look to create a connection with people through my stories.
What is more important — the love story or its larger context?
I don’t separate life and love. Part of filmmaking is conscious and part is subconscious. The two blend into each other too much to make a distinction, which is how it often happens in the real world. The storytelling formula requires both key ingredients, which are indispensable, both, to each other and the larger story arc.
Where does the line between creative freedom and catering to the audience lie?
You must be a medium of sorts for your stories. At the same time, you also hope that the finished movie is commercially successful. I want my stories to engage people. I try to connect my own experiences with those of the audience. Every filmmaker, from indie hacks to Steven Spielberg, wants their movies to make money. There are two kinds of cinema swimming around in this industry: films and entertainment products. Both are valid but I don’t make entertainment products.
How do you work within Bollywood’s parameters?
I make films that allow me to make other films. I hope the money invested will yield a profit. You don’t always have to say something socially pertinent; sometimes, you can tell a lighter tale. Too much heavy-handedness makes for bad filmmaking. I want to engage an audience, not coerce them into philosophical reflection or political activism. What I don’t like is mimicry: people trying to copy the way Western films deal with sombre themes, for films set in India. That’s why I like Anurag Kashyap’s work. Despite its darkness it is vibrant, exciting and original.
Neel Sood
|
