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6/24/2008 My reactions to reactions1. You could have explored the connect between the janata and the Nagres more and shown their compassion for Shankar’s death?
Ans: If you noticed I have always treated the people who idolize Sarkar very ambiguously. They are almost ghostly in their demeanour. Case in point is when Sarkar gets arrested in Sarkar-I. Instead of them shouting slogans and abusing the police, there is a strange unnatural deathly stillness about them. I copied this from a scene in “The Final Conflict” the 3rd in the series of “The Omen” where when Damien (the son of Satan) addresses a crowd they have a very similar body language. That’s because one would know what kind of people would worship Satan. Taking a leaf from this I thought given the unusual nature of a leader like Subhash Nagre it’s safer to keep them at a distance and leave it to the imagination of the audience. 2. What was running in your mind while making “Nishabd”
Ans: Nishabd. 3. People / media criticize you because of their expectations from you.
Ans: Any criticism made by anybody is only for the express purpose of entertaining themselves and others. 4. Why did you make “Madhyanam Hatya”? Please don’t say “because I wanted to make it.”
Ans: Thanks for making me feel predictable. But that’s the only reason and it’s the same reason for all my films. 5. I have heard lot about the hardships you went through before making your first film.
Ans: Not true. I always have had a ball in my life ever since I can remember. Difficulties and hardships are a state of mind. If you truly believe and understand that you are nothing, but just one more person among the millions of people out there and also understand that none of them owe you anything, you will come to terms with the fact that you cannot and should not depend on anybody or anything and the onus is on you to make it in life. Let’s say you desire to go from your town to another town and en-route it starts raining. Someone tells you that the road might be flooding ahead. Now you have a choice to turn back or somehow get a ride in a car or continue driving taking the risk of may be getting stuck or even dying as long as your objective is to reach the other town. But one thing you should not do is to blame the rain or get angry with it or pray to it or plead with it. The rain is the difficulties and the town I wanted to reach is making my first film and I enjoyed and got enriched by my journey each and every minute of it. 6. In Shiva, was Chinna hitting the pole shot, thought at scripting stage or did it happen during the shoot?
Ans: Actually I copied that from a scene in Balu Mahendra’s film “Sadma” (“Moondrum Pirai” in Tamil) starring Kamal Hassan and Sridevi. In the climax Sridevi is in the train which is moving towards us in the right of the frame and Kamal is running in the left of the frame towards us desperate to see Sridevi. So the audience’s eyes are caught in between Kamal and the train just in case Sridevi will come out, so they miss the entry of pole from the left till they see Kamal suddenly hit it. I reversed this in Shiva. I established Chinna being chased by the goons. In that particular shot he is running towards the camera. I deliberately kept space to the left and as Chinna looks back to the left of the frame behind him to see if the goons are following it draws the attention of the audience to the same and they miss the poles entry from the right of the frame till he hits it. Because they are in the emotional state of Chinna the suddenness of it creates an impact as if they themselves have been hit. As per your question whether I thought of it in the script or it happened at the shoot you should address this to Mr. Balu Mahendra. As you know now I copied it from him. Incidentally Sudhakar hitting the rock scene is from Mansoor Khan’s “Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak” which more or less has the same psychology. 7. I heard you are remaking Aag. Why would you want to remake your own film?
Ans: Who else would do it? A flop one at that? I am basically like the spider in that Kings story where he learns from it never to give up. 8. Enough of mafia, horror and thrillers! Make some responsible movies that can bring in change in all of us.
Ans: Ok Sir 9. I did not understand your answer on why you are so fascistic in your decisions. Can you explain it for this KG student of filmmaking?
Ans: - Wait till you grow up. 10. With every movie you have an incredible story to tell. Just that in a few of them the execution strays.
Ans: - Well that’s the story of my life. Most of them I would say! 11. How did you have money to produce a big budget movie like Rangeela after your failing in Telugu.
Ans; - It’s a big misconception people have that to make a film you need money. It is your story idea and your convincing power which will generate money and anything else required. The primary and only concern for stars or investors is about making fame and profit from the people who will come to see it and they make a decision of investing the capital on the strength of your idea and your potential at least by the standards of their vision and everything else will follow. I would like to sum it up as this that nothing is more cheaper in financial terms and more powerful than an idea. 12. Was your first film Shiva inspired from “Arjun”?
Ans: Yes. It was also taken from Ardh Satya, Kaal Chakra and Mackanna’s Gold. The climax fight on the terrace between Nagarjuna and Shiva was a total rip-off from Mackenna’s Gold cliff fight between Gregory Peck and Omar Shariff. 13. How does the main culprit in Sarkar Raj communicate with the rest of the gang?
Ans: Ask Sarkar. 14. Why are you answering so rudely?
Ans: I thought I was being funny. 15. Do you think the interval scene in Sarkar raj would have worked without the “A.C on karo” line?
Ans: My problem there was I had to give some logic to why the bomb got triggered off when it did. You see the car for a long time in the background and if I didn’t have that line it would have given rise to unnecessary doubts. 16. If one movie after one more fails will you still enjoy support?
Ans: I think you still have not got the point. You need to understand the word ‘fail’. Without knowing the cost price and sale price you can’t arrive at an understanding of that. Also in case a Director makes films which loose money for all concerned one after the other you still have to take into consideration the aspect that the industry needs at least 120 films per year to cater to the theatres. Considering that no Director can make more than 2 films a year that too a rarity. You still need 60 Directors to do the job. Then it boils down to your list of choices. Try and think of Directors whose films you would like to watch. I doubt you can think of more than 15. Even if you did not like my last 5 films it’s still possible if you come as a Producer that my name might still crop up somewhere in the top 10 to 12 names. So in other words if the industry were to make films only with Directors you like, 80% of theatres will close down. The bottom line is that there will always be work for a worker. 17. Where do you get inspiration to make comedies like Money and Anaganaga Oka Roju?
Ans: Life! I believe that life is actually a comedy which pretends to be a tragedy. 18. I would like to see your take on inter-culture romance and marriages.
Ans: I don’t believe in all 3 whether inter or not. 19. You see the crockery before you buy it and buy it only if you liked it unlike a movie where you have to see it to know if it is good. That’s where reviews and trade analyses matter.
Ans: It’s a given fact that no two people will have the same sensibilities and tastes and state of minds and intelligence levels which would be the principal parameters which will influence your appreciation of a film. But on the other hand it goes without saying that if you think someone else can judge for you and he will have the same taste and sensibility as you whether that’s your friend or your wife or a critic or your servant, you are welcome to go ahead and make that choice for yourself. Also like any product like a car or a cell-phone or anything else you see on an Ad or hear about it or you trust the company that manufactured it only when you experience it will you truly know whether you like it or not. So all I am saying is that any creative work can be only an interaction between the individual viewer and the maker. Comments (69)
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