New Delhi, Sep 27
He is optimistic that the near future will see an emergence of multiple women filmmakers who want to bring their narrative to the table. Because it is important to know the story of our times from their perspective, not because of the jarred cliche that they are more ‘sensitive’.
“Of course, they can be aggressive, brutal, dark and everything we men are allowed to be. But how can you not afford to acquaint yourself with their world perception? And no, they should not just making women-centric films. Who is stopping them from making all-out action ones or touching other genres?” asks filmmaker Sudhir Mishra, whose ‘Tanaav' season 2 recently started streaming on an OTT platform.
Mishra, who shot the second season in Kashmir too, choosing not to ‘use’ the beautiful locales and ideal scenic spots, but to go deep into Srinagar’s underbelly is pleased with the reception his team and he received there this time.
“Most people there had seen the first season by now. And they were appreciative of the way the characters were conceived. Of course, everyone is against ‘terrorism’, but no one likes an unbalanced approach. That is too filmy, something which life is not.”
The second season also pays a lot of attention to women and the collateral damage they have faced over the years, the innocents who have died in the crossfire.
“It was important for me to bring forth certain new nuances, otherwise what is the point of making another season? There must be more complexities for the viewer to engage with, no?” asks Mishra.
Point out the fact that in all his works, amplified gray areas of all his characters including the protagonist always jump out, that there is no black or white, no clear heroes or villains. And certain vulnerabilities, flaws and weaknesses constantly envelop his lead characters...
The filmmaker smiles, “Why do you think most major Bollywood stars do not work with me? I want real people who offer irony and paradox -- a hero can be a villain to others. But is it not a genuine human trait? It is not about being dark just for the sake of it.”
‘Conflict’ has never left this filmmaker’s work -- be it emotional, ideological, intellectual, or in respect to relationships... It never ceases to fascinate him, right from his first film ‘Yeh Woh Manzil To Nahin’ in 1987 to the second season of ‘Tanaav’ in 2024.
“What essentially fascinates me are people who step out of line and are frowned upon by the world. The ones who say ‘no’. This is because people are ‘supposed’ to just lie down, not react and take diktats. The world does not like rebels. It is scared of them. The moment someone refuses to accept, be it in any nuance or a relationship; conflicts explode. And that is what makes my eyes shine bright,” he admits.
Believing that OTT has given directors like him another life, and allowed them to remain in the game, he adds, “I would be lying if I did not admit to that. And you get a chance to work on something like ‘Serious Men’. Besides season 3 of ‘Tanaav’, I am going to work on another series titled ‘Summer of 77’, based on the third volume of my grandfather DP Mishra, the former Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh’s autobiography. At one point in time, he was quite close to Indira Gandhi,” he says.
Talk to him about the trend where a lot of filmmakers are now staying in their regions, not shifting to Mumbai but making internationally-acclaimed cinema that premiers at festivals like Cannes and Venice-- Gurvinder Singh who lives in Punjab for instance, he asserts, “These guys even refuse to step into Mumbai, which I think is a superb thing. Now this is also the difference between the South Indian filmmaker and the North Indian one -- the latter moves away from his roots and the environment that has shaped him but the former always stays close to his, consistently seeping and exploring tales that naturally makes sense to him considering he has grown up there. Frankly, many of them already well-established in Mumbai are now seeking tales from the place they called home --- Vishal Bhardwaj from Meerut, Abhishek Chaubey from Gorakhpur, Anurag Kashyap from Benaras, Tigmanshu Dhulia from Allahabad and Raju Hirani from Nagpur. It is not tough to decipher the language and styles of their lands in their movies. ”
Mishra also points out that the second generation of filmmakers in the Mumbai industry are only making films based on the cinema they have grown up with, thus making movies based on other cinema. “Whereas these guys from small towns are extremely ‘free’. They do not want to be the next Wong Kar-wai. They want to be themselves. They are technically proficient, though too much in a hurry and completely ahistorical, something I do not like. They need to let things simmer for some time and then jump,” he cautions.
Adding that these young filmmakers are constantly learning from the web, he does add a word of caution. “They just need to be careful to understand that there is a difference between technology and technique. Just because you have a drone does not mean you keep taking those shots,” the filmmaker smiles.
Stressing that while many young filmmakers from far-flung areas do not feel the need to go to film schools, he points out, “For our generation, the film school was great as one was an environment where there was excellent equipment, top grade cameras, editing suites... But the easy availability of the same and the democratization of technology has changed the game now. However, I still feel a film school has much value as it allows you to mingle with people trying to find their own voice. It gives you the space to find your own (voice) in a non-commercial environment where you are allowed to fail. But yes, we must not take away the fact that a genius might emerge from one of them... Look at that young 35-year-old Canadian filmmaker Xavier Dolan whose films are always at the best of festivals anywhere in the world.”
Mishra may have made some excellent films over his long career, but somehow it is ‘Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi’ that was released 18 years ago that strikes one the moment his name is mentioned. “I know, the young could relate to it. But are you saying ‘Khoya Khoya Chand’, ‘Serious Men’, or ‘Chameli’ were bad films?” he concludes with a laugh.
