JOIN US'Filmmakers are insecure'
He is one director who knew the fate of his film, even before its release. In a way he was right as viewers and critics have loved his recent film on female foeticide, Jalpari: The Desert Mermaid.
The maker of I Am Kalam fame, Nila Madhab Panda is on cloud nine as his film has done well commercially. “People are loving the film and I knew it as they love such topics,” says Nila.
Shot in north India, including Haryana and Delhi, Jalpari tackles issues like water scarcity and the declining sex ratio through a child’s viewpoint. The lead characters Lehar Khan and Krishang Diwedi who gave brilliant performance as newcomers took the film to another level.
Ask Nila why his film’s protagonists are always children, he says, “Children are very inquisitive by nature. Moreover, the subject of the film is very dark and I wanted to tell the tale through children. It lightens the subject.”
The film has turned out to be a family adventure and the Odiya director shares, “I have said earlier too that it is not a serious film. I didn’t want to be preachy about the topic of sex ratio. I just wanted to project the issue in a different way as I know things cannot change overnight.”
But despite the postive response to his film, the one person who Nila would love to show his film to, is Aamir Khan. “Yes, I am trying to reach him. I would love it he were to see my film as he has himself raised a voice against female foeticide in his television show. I am really hopeful that he will agree to meet me.”
Are Indian audiences mature enough to understand milestones like Gangs of Wasseypur even as duds like Ek Tha Tiger make 100 crores? “Bollywood is the only source of entertaintment in India and cinema is part of society.
So, you have every kind of audience to understand your films.” If Bollywood on one hand is facing a sea change in terms of scripts and genres, it is also delivering remakes and sequels. Nila blames it on the trend.
“Nowadays filmmakers are insecure about their cinema. They have become business-oriented. It is business over artform now.”