'I've great expectations from the youngsters'

Optimistic Views

Ketan Mehta’s thought-provoking movies have made him one of the most renowned film-makers in tinsel town. From Mirch Masala to Maya Memsaab, his films have
always struck a chord with the audience.The director speaks to Metrolife about the future of Bollywood and the kind of films that are being made today.

“There is an eclectic mix of art and technology and I want to combine the two. I have great expectations from the youngsters here and would like to train them to suit our production pattern,” he says.

Talking about the current crop of directors, he adds that he is optimistic about the future of the Indian film industry. “There is a wide range of talent in the industry today and directors are coming out with a lot of variety. The film-makers of today are talented, adventurous and want to take risks — I like the kind of films that I see,” he adds.
In the past, Ketan has worked with veteran Indian actors Naseeruddin Shah and Smita Patil in Mirch Masala and cherishes the experience.

“I have not just worked with Smita and Naseer but others like Shah Rukh — in Maya Memsaab — Aamir, Rani and Randeep Hooda as well. The Indian film industry today has a large number of talented actors and actresses and all of them are committed, involved and very dedicated. That is what makes the entire experience of working with them so fulfilling,” he notes.

“I am extremely impressed with the talent that is coming up now. In fact, I have just completed a film Manjhi - Mountain Man with Nawazuddin Siddiqui in the lead. He is brilliant as an actor and very spontaneous. He has delivered one of his finest
performances in the film,” he explains.

The film is about the inspiring story of Dashrath Manjhi, who became famous for breaking a mountain single-handedly. This reduced the distance between Atri and Wazirganj, in Bihar.

When asked about the current trend of including item numbers in films, the director feels that this caters to the lowest common denomination of the audience.
“I have nothing to say to the directors who include item numbers in their films. They say that it is the audience’s choice whether to see it or not but I think that is a silly excuse. I cannot take that as an answer,” sums up Ketan.