Let me start off with this very simple point — we, as public, are more aware and perceptive than we ever were before. The Internet, hundreds of television channels, and our exposure from travelling across the world, have made us more aware, and this awareness enters our mind all the time, whether we are watching a news show on political issues, or a film at a theatre. As a result, our thinking is changing, and our acceptance of various subjects is broadening. So, we get films — one-of-a-kind if you wish to call them that — which stand out in terms of content or presentation. When I was making 'Kahaani', I never thought of making it as a “different” film. The worst thing I feel one can do as a filmmaker, is to make a film to prove a point.
As an audience, when I see a film, somewhere inside, I expect a certain standard of presentation. It’s like a bank. If you open an account, you would take an ATM for granted. Things that were a luxury before, are commonly available now to anyone. That applies to films too.
There has to be a certain standard in presentation; the audience needs to see the effort that went into making the film. And we as filmmakers need to keep up with that. We need to keep up and keep reinventing ways to express even basic things like portrayal of love on screen. Gone are the days when there was no sex before marriage. We need to present emotions as they are in real life, lest nobody is able to identify with the film.
I had a particularly tough time getting my first film Jhankaar Beats off the ground, but in some way it prepared me for the worst, for the tough road ahead. The whole vibe of playing ‘safe’ still exists, except that I, as a filmmaker, have learnt to respect it more.
Money is important whether it’s mine or someone else’s. Just as an audience gets pissed off when they pay a lot to see a bad film, an investor has every right to ensure he or she is not investing in that bad project. I really don’t believe that filmmakers and actors are at the heart of this change. This perception creates silly parallel worlds within the industry. Some are touted as good filmmakers, and others are said to always make bad films. Anyone who brings audiences back into the halls is good in my book.
But young filmmakers are doing exactly that — bringing people back into the theatres. Today’s filmmakers are exposed to the right things. I am a believer in hope. I am seeing good cinema around me. Young filmmakers are tackling newer subjects. I see the presentation changing. A lot more attention will eventually be paid to other faculties of filmmaking, like editing, sound design and special effects. Yet, I hope in our hurry, we don’t forget the first rule of filmmaking — kahaani or story.