The first thing that strikes you when you watch Gyan Correa’s Gujarati film, The Good Road is the brilliant landscapes of Kutch and raw emotion each character displays in the movie. Told in a hyperlink format, the movie combines several stories that end at the highway near Kutch in Gujarat. Correa won the National Award and the movie was also the Indian entry for the Best Foreign Film to the Oscars. The Goa-born director, who was in town for the Gollapudi Srinivas National Award 2013,
Influence regained
With a background in advertising, Correa wanted to move out of his comfort zone to make a movie.
But how did it all start? “I think first I denied myself any input other than the world of my story. Then I went out of my way to engage with the world of my story – spending long hours with the characters of my film and their world,” says the director, who had considered other locations too for the movie, “I think the Kutch worked perfectly for my film on so many levels. The people, the culture, the topography, the music-of the other places I had considered – Rajasthan and Ladakh – Kutch is above all else barren and yet so full of the human spirit.” While his wife is from Gujarat, Correa is not very well versed with the language. However, some of the stories in the movie are inspired by Correa’s life, “I ‘m certainly influenced by what I saw. For example, once, when my daughter was missing in a building my wife, the panic we felt, and the conversations I had with my daughter later were certainly fuel for my film, he shares.
Take on Bollywood
As for the commercial movies that are seen in Bollywood, Correa says, “I think they are excellent for the audiences they work for. And, it is their commercial success that makes all the talent and technology available for art house films.”
Humour is what the director will like to try his hands at someday and, as for his favourite movie, he says, “I don’t watch too many films, but love the old masters the best. I find myself watching and re-watching them.”
Though Correa selected off-beat actors for his movie, any mainstream actors he wants to work with? “There is so much talent-some on screen, some in waiting. I think there will be an explosion soon. I personally like to choose my actors and get excited about them after my script is set,” he shares.