Quotes of All Topics . Occasions . Authors
I am mostly at home and I do my housework, I read and I love watching documentaries. In short, I love staying at home.
For me, 'Gulabo Sitabo' is a satire... I wanted to do satire and I think it's turned out exactly how I wanted it to be.
I am lucky that I am surviving in the industry despite the kind of films I have made, which are absolutely unconventional.
It is easier to make a film but difficult to make it on your own terms. In that sense 'Madras Cafe' was a very satisfying experience.
My dad was suffering with cancer for six years and my mum was in coma for three-and-a-half months. So, I have seen the hospital life.
My films, sometimes, have my own reflections of life. They have life lessons I've had that I put across in a humorous or satirical way.
Men have realized that when it comes to the workplace, both the sexes have equal stake because jobs are given based on talent and skill.
Both 'Gulabo Sitabo' and 'Udham Singh' are cinematic experiences; nothing is less, nothing is more. It's all about creating good cinema.
I purposely adopted a style in my storytelling wherein I don't have to explain everything or why the story is moving in a particular way.
The unparalleled love of a mother is always there for the kids, specially when they're growing up and about to leave the family and go away.
Delhi is not just India Gate and Lal Qila, its way beyond that. There are a lot of things that's Delhi, which only a Dilliwalla can understand.
Normally my films have a single thread of an emotion, an insight or one single belief, and then I turn the entire story and build it around that.
Women have initiated the change all by themselves. The credit goes to them. Men have had no role to play in the rise in women's representation on a film set.
I never try and send messages through my feature films; it's always naturally woven in and comes through on its own, as that's the way I think about society.
If I had used real names, I don't think 'Madras Cafe' would have ever seen the light of day because it was a political film, an adaptation of a true incident.
My set is an open forum. Anybody can comment on anything and I take all suggestions from everyone. I am not rigid. If someone convinces me, I take the suggestion.
I have been thinking of many subjects to work around football, but nothing has inspired me. 'Sports' is a good subject. But, nothing has inspired me to make a film.
I remember watching an Iranian film, 'A Separation.' When the film ended, I felt like going to Iran, getting that family together, hug them and just being with them.
I have worked with Amitabh Bachchan in 'Pink' and 'Piku.' As soon as one film gets over, he is behind me, asking 'Which is the next film you are going to do with me?'
For all my films, location plays an important role because I like to give the authentic look of the place. And for that, one must go there and shoot at the right spots.
When I made 'Vicky Donor,' people said it's not a family drama, it is for youngsters. But families also went and watched the film. Same happened with 'Piku' and 'October.'
Actually the writer is the most important part of the filmmaking process. That's why I never hesitate in giving credit to a writer which I don't think even Hollywood does.
All my films were based on sensitive issues, and they were passed without any problems. I give full credit to the Censor Board for being capable enough to do their work well.
When I shoot a film, I take my camera and put it among the characters and let it show you their world, their problems, their happiness and the little things that matter to them.
Enough of the formulaic stuff. I am not saying pot-boilers are going to stop coming, but there should be other quality-centric films to off-set them, to maintain a steady balance.
The first thing I control is the cost by not shooting for many days. It is not control, but somebody has to drive the whole thing. If I shoot unnecessary things, it will raise cost.
Slice of life comedy is something which I enjoy more. These moments make you smile when you think about them. And these moments work for a film as well, rather than slapstick comedy.
My first visit to Lucknow was perhaps in 1995-96. I was then working with theatre director Ranjit Kapur on the production of 'Court Martial' and we travelled to Lucknow on assignment.
Women have shown their skills and that's why they have been accepted in the industry. It's through their skill that they have managed to make a mark for themselves and also earned respect.
Cinema leaves a deep impact on the society. As creative people and entertainment film-makers, we have to be responsible at some point as we are also the conscious citizens of this country.
I am thankful for the fact that the audience doesn't expect common, run-of-the-mill films from me. But the fact of the matter is that if the subject doesn't hit me hard enough, I will not do it.
I am happy that I am back and with a great project like 'Vicky Donor.' I have had a hard time in the past with 'Johnny Mastana' getting stuck but I hope this film brings positiveness into my life.
I've done a lot of ad films where an idea can be translated in 30 or 40 seconds. But in a movie, an idea needs to be stretched for two hours, and requires you to draw a bit from your experiences in life.
I don't spend unnecessarily. The problem with the industry is we don't budget our films. Plus, we spend bizarre amounts on marketing. If you have a good film and a good trailer, you don't need to spend so much.
I had a personal experience of my mum being in comatose state in 2004. I would go to the hospital every day but would not do anything. I would just meet the doctor for five minutes who would update me about her.
'Vicky Donor' is now seen as a case study and the intelligentsias are looking at it from a strong academic point of view. I keep getting calls from medical practitioners who constantly thank me for making this film.
I call it an ensemble cast or the world of 'Gulabo Sitabo' which is about the lifestyle of my characters. I just go and sit there in a corner and observe these characters through my camera. That's how I shot the film.
'Gulabo Sitabo' is the biggest release for me. The film is going to 203 countries simultaneously and it is successfully being subtitled in 20 languages including Portuguese, German, Spanish, Russian, French and many more.
I am really influenced by normal, simple, everyday life and people, like the Biji and Dolly in 'Vicky Donor,' who used to drink and say whatever they felt like. These characters were so lively. I have seen these people around me.
My major influence is Satyajit Ray; his film 'Shatranj ke Khilari' was set in Awadh and it gave us memorable characters. Ray's musical scores and soundtracks were an intrinsic part of his films. And music to me is important, too.
Even 'Piku' was quite an experiment in terms of storytelling because on the surface nothing happens in the film. If you ask me what was the film about, it was about father-daughter fighting and the narrative captured their daily life.
I lived in the south near Tughlaqabad. My father was in the Air Force station. I used to go to Tughlaqabad Fort, and there's a huge city park there a big city forest, near the ruins. They were so beautiful. So I have been to those parks.
I remember I used to play football in my childhood and my team had people from different faiths and backgrounds. It had the son of the person who would take us to the school on his rickshaw or the guy who came to pick up our garbage but I never knew this.