INDEPENDENT filmmaker Onir has proved yet again that he is not afraid to tackle sensitive subject matter through his films. We’re talking about I am, a collection of four short stories, which has already been well received on the festival circuit. This in addition to getting the best film award at the France Film Festival.
Onir, who became an overnight sensation with the critically acclaimed hit, My Brother… Nikhil, says that I am was inspired by Tagore’s famous poem, Where the mind is without fear. “The film is about people who are struggling with their identities and starting to live without fear and some of the stories have been inspired by real life,” explains the Bhutanese filmmaker who moved to India in 1986 to study at Jadavpur University. The film that stars Nandita Das, Anurag Kashyap and Juhi Chawla is an exploration of human identity, offers the filmmaker.
“I am Abhimanyu deals with sexual abuse on children, Omar deals with homosexuality, Afia is all about single motherhood and Megha is the story of a Kashmiri Pandit woman,” he goes on to explain. Onir promises that while the stories will leave you debating over the subject matter, the film itself does not have any life lesson to offer.
Since he knew he was dealing with a difficult subject, Onir eschewed the traditional route for funding and appealed to his fans directly. He recalls how people were approached to donate funds for the film via a Facebook page. Thus, he “democratised and demystified Indian cinema.”
This also meant cutting the studio system out of the process. “I think for me the most important thing is my freedom as an artist and to tell stories to the evolving sensibilities of the Indian audience,” explains Onir.
That said, despite the international acclaim, Onir is not expecting any love during the awards season right here in India.
“My Brother... Nikhil received rave reviews and was awarded at international festivals. It is even part of the curriculum in certain schools and sported great performances. Yet it was completely shut out from Indian awards,” observes Onir, for our benefit. And while independent films like I am stand a better chance at being nominated for the Oscars, they will not be touched by the Indian selecting committee, he continues, laughing, “These are the same people who selected Jeans as the Indian bid for the Oscars.”
But Onir admits that he is living his dream. “This life is a gift that I treasure. I am this guy from Bhutan, who gets to tell thematic, emotional and intelligent stories. You don’t have to leave your brains behind to watch cinema and that is the point I am making,” he shrugs.