Talktime | onir
Director, editor, screenwriter and producer best known for his film My Brother Nikhil, Onir talks to SHAlINI SAKSENA about his next venture Shab and why it took him 17 years to bring it on screen
Tell us about Shab.
To begin with, this project has been in the pipeline for 17 years and is my first script. Over the years, as matured, the script also underwent changes. That makes this film very special. This film has taken many colours; it is attached to me.
You have a penchant for making thought provoking movies. How much does it take to make such cinemaIJ
Actually, making such films comes easy to me since these are movies that touch me. The effort comes in when I am asked to make a film in a certain manner. Since the films that I make are from my heart, they are easy. The only problem is I make them independently. The world that Shab represents is upper class and glamorous, so the budget needed for this was much higher and so it took long.
Do you think taking alternative cinema to international festivals is more viableIJ
It will be difficult to comment on this since my films are not exactly alternative cinema. My films have mainstream actors and music. The way I treat them is different. I release the films in India and since I am now known in the international circuit, I am invited to showcase them there as well. As a filmmaker going to many festivals it gets tagged as a “festival film” and comes with a lot of baggage. I prefer to release my films in India. But there are certain films that need to be discovered.
Do digital platforms helpIJ
It is too early to say anything about how this will pan out since it is continuously changing. It is like TV — there was a time when it was a huge return component. But all this changed when they stopped taking smaller films. The same holds true for such digital platforms. There was a lot of buzz for indie films but then one heard of Rs 900-crore deals. One has to understand that for most people, digital platforms are more about watching a film they missed.
Is the Indian audience matureIJ
The audience was always mature. We just didn’t have the tools to reach many. Why else would films of Shyam Bengal, Satyajit Ray, Ketan Mehta, Mrinal Sen workIJ They made movies that were much more brilliant. The audience has always been there, it depends on how you reach them.
Do subject-oriented movies impact societyIJ
There have been documentaries where people have said that what they have seen in a movie is something that happens in real life too. People do get inspired from movies. How you portray films matter. Films like Dangal, Pink, etc become powerful tools.
Should there be a difference between indie and commercial filmsIJ
Of course, at the end of the day cinema is cinema. But entertainment can be about thinking as well, about learning. There is a whole trend of ‘this movie is time-pass’. But each film has a message — some can be retarded — but they have something to say. Take for example The lunchbox. It is a beautiful film. Was it not an entertaining filmIJ In Dangal, if you take out Aamir Khan, would it still not be an entertaining movieIJ Sometimes people misconstrue it and if it doesn’t have a star, it is not entertaining.
Next project...
I will start on Bheegey Alfazz which will go on the floor in July.