Ahead of his time

It is exactly like my film - about a senior and junior in a creative work space except that my film was about an advertising agency and Tehelka is a magazine- Director Sudhir Mishra

was waiting to be checked in for my flight to Thiruvanthapuram when I spotted filmmaker of unforgettable films like ‘Main Zinda Hoon’ and ‘Dharavi’, Sudhir Mishra a little ahead of me in the queue and assumed he was flying for the International Film Festival Kerala but Sudhir was headed for Bhopal, his hometown, so after we had checked in we sat down to catch up on life. Over to Sudhir Mishra:

“I have reached a stage in life where I have had enough of film festivals and refuse to attend any of them unless I’m showcasing my film at the festival. There was a stage I enjoyed festivals and looked forward to spending a fortnight in a new place, meeting new people and watching world cinema but I was younger then and had all the time in the world.

Today, with the advance in technology, the best films all over the globe are available to you on the click of a button. Today, it feels a waste of time to be parked in one place to watch the best on the big screen at a specific time. We are living in a world full of distractions – the mobile and the computer and it is impossible to be in any place with undivided attention any longer. Today, when I’m older and busier I don’t want to block my working time following passion which can be pursued anytime, anywhere.

I guess life comes in seasons so while there was a time I enjoyed being a part of all the national and international juries, enjoyed brain storming and fighting vehemently for my kind of cinema. Today, I say no to all invitations because every film I reject or don’t agree with is becoming my enemy. Besides these sessions are an invasion on my working time and nobody is paying your valuable time and attention. It is not easy being a full time filmmaker, not easy conceiving an idea and transporting it uninterrupted to shooting. I thought I was ready to roll Mehrunisa with Amitabh Bachchan, Rishi Kapoor and Chitrangda Singh and then things did not materialize. I delayed the project for a while, changed the title and now I’m reworking on the plot. There is a temporary setback but then you gather yourself and begin again. I’m doing that too. What is important is to not lose conviction. I have not in the past and will not in future as well.

About ‘Inkaar’ on sexual harassment at work - a burning topic today

When I made ‘Inkaar’ based on sexual harassment at work, critics panned the plot and called it exaggerated and see what has happened with Tehalka journalist and the editor? Look at the way the managing editor Shoma and the other colleagues are dragged in to the scandal. It is exactly like my film - about a senior and junior in a creative work space except my film was about an advertising agency and this is a magazine. The film raised the same questions- where do you draw the lines and who determines abuse in a relationship? Emotions are mercurial and relationships are changing. I was the first to expose Hindi cinema to a committee set up to investigate harassment where Deepti Naval interrogates the lead pair and their office colleagues. The only difference in my film the victim/ crusader Chitrangda leaves her job and disappears and in the case of Tehalka the journalist has dug in her heels and will fight it to finish. The trigger in both the cases though is rejection – can men and in particular, men boss take ‘No’ from a woman subordinate. The answer is no!

Ideas for a film come from anywhere – talking to you at the airport, on the aircraft or visiting an old relative back home. Do you know the only invitations I don’t refuse are from Bhopal, my hometown because I like returning to my roots and connecting with family. It is the only place in the world where I can truly unwind. I return to Mumbai over the weekend but these three days I will make the most of memories with old and young relatives in Bhopal.”