Man with several hats

PARALLEL LEAGUE

Sporting long grey hair, he stands tall literally and figuratively in a crowd and one can easily spot the writer director, Sudhir Mishra.

Known to be one of the torchbearers of parallel cinema movement of the 70s and 80s, Mishra wears several hats with ease.

Though his forte is direction, he has also been a producer, an actor, served as jury member for National Film Awards and now, he is part of the jury for the ongoing ‘UFO 0110 International Digital Film Festival’ at Siri Fort auditorium. Metrolife caught up with the multi-dimensional man.

Sudhir is extremely excited about digital filmmaking but will this style of filmmaking over shadow the existing industry. Sudhir negates the concern, “Digital will add to the experience of movie-viewing for audiences.” But won’t the overall quality of content diminish because digital filmmaking per se encourages amateurs to try their hand at this technical art?

“Digital at the moment is very independent and low budget. Therefore it has its advantages and its disadvantage is that everybody can make a film! It is very interesting for those untrained in the art of filmmaking to be able to now make experiment with making a film. Kids today are talented and I am excited to see these young filmmakers. Digital technology will aid them. As far as technology is concerned, we are moving towards digital in future,” he adds.

Despite no formal training in movie-making, Sudhir stands apart from his contemporaries and recalls his tryst with Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) with gratitude, reminding one of Eklavya. “When I went to Bombay, I learnt the practicality of filmmaking by visiting film sets, whereas my brother was a student of FTII, Pune. So, he and I used to hold classes for each other where he taught me whatever he learnt at the Institute and I taught him what actually happened on the sets. That is why I often say that I owe my bit of gratitude to FTII.”

But how did his love for films begin? “When I was growing up, one of my uncles used to give me comics and another one used to show me films. Both mediums tell stories, so I don’t know from whom my interest in films developed initially but I have always been interested in films.”
He was only 22 years when he got the chance of his life to be a part of Kundan Shah’s cult classic, Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro. “I came to Mumbai in 1980 and worked in Jane Bhi… as an assistant director and scriptwriter. It was one of the greatest experiences of my life.”
Today, films like Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro are non existent and focus more on the song-dance routine rather than the actual content. Does he agree? “It is like saying that Chinese films are only about kung fu. But things,” he feels “will change. We are still a little backward and it is only when we accept this fact that we will be able to move forward. We don’t encourage creativity. The exposure (of people) to cinema (as a larger entity) is not enough but I am sure that technology again will cater to this requirement.”

And films are not just about entertainment: “Entertainment should become wider and not just be reduced to item songs in movies.” The commercialisation and objectifying of women upsets him too, “If I was a woman in the present times, I would be very angry! Somebody has to explore and project an alternate woman. The current ideology of fairness cream ads which most people subscribe to is something which is very stupid and the audience has to mature.

People should look for different films rather than be satisfied with what is being served  to them on a platter.”

While pursuing Psychology during his University days in Delhi, Sudhir was also associated with theatre. “Delhi made me the person I am today. This city transformed a shy boy into a person who could express himself. Theatre in Delhi opened up my head and I owe a lot to the time when I was doing theatre here.” What about his next film? He says, “I am working on a film based on a sexual harassment case by a CEO which casts Chitrangada Singh, Arjun Rampal, Deepti Naval, Vipin Sharma and Saurabh Shukla and it is as yet untitled.”