Director-writer Shakun Batra talks about his films, passion and how he projects real life experiences on screen. By Unnati Joshi
There is a certain charm in being in the company of a filmmaker, usually adjudged the creative soul of a big project and considered supremely gifted, confident and resourceful. But director Shakun Batra, who is basking in the glory of the success of his last release Kapoor & Sons, makes it sound easy and real.
“Honestly, I was trying to run away from my family business. And then I found my love for films. That firmed up my resolve of what I wanted to do. I went to a film school, moved to Mumbai and started working as an assistant director. As somebody who wants to tell stories and make movies, you are always looking for inspirations. Once I went to film school, it has always been Woody Allen, Billy Wilder and Wes Anderson. These are the guys I really looked up to. And I think you continue to find inspirations as you grow older in different films. I had no clue about movies for a long time. I was into photography and wanted to be a cameraman and it was only after I signed up for film school that I started taking the business seriously,” he told us.
Shakun’s first film was an unusual romance — one in which the boy and girl didn’t end up together. His second film, Kapoor & Sons, was a family drama with Sidharth Malhotra, Alia Bhatt and Fawad Khan in lead roles. Talking about it, he said, “Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu was just the boy and girl not ending up together and having a comfortable relationship beyond the cliches of romance. But with Kapoor & Sons I dealt with sexuality, infidelity and even something as dark as death. People don’t expect this in a light-hearted movie. These are uncomfortable themes as far as Indian movies are concerned. We usually like our movies clean and neat.”
Shakun started his journey in 2005 with Don. Reminiscing the journey, the director said, “My journey has been beautiful. AD-ing was one of the most fulfilling things I ever did. And I think I have always been lucky with the kind of films I have worked with whether it’s for Excel or Aamir Khan Production or Dharma. They are all such great people.”
About the new winds sweeping the mainstream film industry, he said, “Nowadays the trend is changing, giving people like us a chance to break out. Udta Punjab, Neerja, Kapoor & Sons, Piku and Queen have been released with such profusion. These are not the movies you saw five years back, leave alone them getting commercial success. They are now doing really well. So I feel there has been a positive change.”
Shakun isn’t larger-than-life. “For me it is how I see the world. look at me, I am 5’4”. I am not a guy who can beat anyone up. I am just writing from my own experiences. I have never felt macho in my life. I have never been to the gym. So, I can’t write something that I have never been close to. For instance my co-writer, Ayesha (Ayesha Devitre) was the inspiration behind Kareena’s character in Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu. Ayesha was a hair-stylist and she was the crazy one and I decided that I am going to write her in the film.”
Explaining the writing process, he said, “The idea comes to me in bits... sometime it’s a character, sometimes it’s a moment, at other times a situation.... you keep collecting it until it starts to fall together. It’s a slow process.”
Sharing his thoughts behind his debut film, the filmmaker said, “The thought was love doesn’t always end up culminating the way we wish but it doesn’t make it any lesser. Sometimes feeling it is more important than trying to gain it. A lot of people have partners but they don’t feel loved. So the idea is if you can feel loved, getting it or not getting it is secondary. Yes, it hurts that you couldn’t get it but sometimes to just feel it is amazing.”
He admits his growing up years influenced the story of Kapoor & Sons. “The idea behind it was to just make a film about brothers and a family and how we hide our feelings and brush them under the carpet and then later in life they all explode. I’ve studied in Canada. I lived away from my family who were in Delhi. I connect with a story like Kapoor & Sons.”
The director is also a passionate about music and photography. “I like playing music. Photography is also my passion but it has been a while that I have gone back to the camera. However, I look forward to it.”
Photo: Pankaj Kumar