Raj Purohit’s Sixteen highlights teenage issues. The director tells Iknoor Kaur it attempts to change the equation between two generations
Jealousy, sex, competition, love — teenage is full of emotions. Raj Purohit’s debut movie Sixteen, which hits theatres on July 12, deals with it all. But the director says that the life of teenagers today has gone under a sea change. It is no more what it used to be 20 years ago. “They are faster, smarter and much more aware than the past generation. The film shows their perspective. It is their reaction to the society. Today’s kids are exposed to everything. They are adults with opinions. They have become decision-makers and flaunt their own thoughts on life and sex,” he said.
Raj has been a part of the television industry for a while, with national screenings in the teen genres on Doordarshan. Working at such close quarters with the age group, he realised that it was high time the society accepts the realities of new-age teenagers. “Five years back I started my research and it was interesting to share that kind of a thought process. Their life is neglected and our society doesn’t want to accept it,” he said.
Raj shared he had a chance to enter the showbiz with a typical masala film, but he picked up this film intentionally. “The teen genre is ignored in India unlike Hollywood. Today, almost every second family has a member of this age group. This film speaks their language, the way they talk, think and function,” he said.
Among a variety of issues, Raj managed to zero down on a few. He commented, “One think youth is open and aware about sexuality. That is the main theme of the film. Others are peer-pressure and consumerism. They want everything, best mobiles, laptops and clothes. They are also career oriented and know what they want to do in life. They want to experiment and make decisions fast.”Raj continued, “So many cases happened while I was researching, like the MMS cases which helped me weave the story.”
He also clarified that the film does not preach and is high on entertainment. “I didn’t intend on making an arty or preachy film. I’m also not being critical. It is a bright and vibrant film. I assure you that the film can be watched with parents. Parents will never see their kids the same way again. It should work as a bridge between the two. It is not a negative film and there is nothing explicit about it.”
The director also spoke about his next venture. “I have another film in mind, it’s based on human behaviour. It will be a social drama. Apart from that a detective-based film is in pipeline,” he said.