Lack of respect for intellect, creativity pained Mani: Neville Tuli

New Delhi, July 6 (IANS) Cancer wasn't the only reason why accclaimed filmmaker Mani Kaul, who died here Wednesday morning after prolonged illness, was in pain, his associate Neville Tuli, founder-chairman of OSIAN's Connoisseurs of Art, has revealed.

'Mani was in pain not only because of the cancer, but also because of the general public apathy towards certain values. That this material world does not sufficiently respect intellect, integrity, creativity and honesty with anything tangible, had made his life, as with most intellectuals, a continually joyous struggle in many ways,' Tuli said in a letter titled 'To Mani with Love'.

Kaul, who made films like 'Uski Roti', 'Ashad Ka ek Din', 'Duvidha', 'Idiot' and the National award-winning'Siddheshwari', was appointed the director general of Tuli's Osian's Cinefan Film Festival of Asian and Arab Cinema in 2009.

Both of them shared a common vision.

'It is obvious that we are creating a world which is by and large respectful of the popular and mediocre, the superficially glamorous and the inane far in excess of what history will feel just in years to come. That the standards of history themselves are being manipulated so as to allow ourselves greater comfort and complacency with our current beliefs is another ongoing deceit in motion.

'Human institutions are re-calibrating our standards of excellence so low, that the aspirations and idealism essential in every young mind are being choked before given a chance to breathe, let alone live,' added Tuli, a well-known name in the world of art and culture.

Many filmmakers believed that Kaul's style of filmmaking was not at all guided by the demand or taste of the audience. He did what he believed in, and hoped that the young generation would do so too.

'Mani loved nurturing and sharing ideas with young minds, trying to make them question in that ancient philosophic sense which today few teachers even bother to explore. He seemed lost in his world of ideas and like with most thinkers found it difficult to come to terms with the harshness of the systems we are creating on our daily binge of action.

'His journey of nurturing one's freedom so as to continue to ideate and not having to find any acceptance from the general public was an inspiration to many,' recalled Tuli, who considers Kaul an 'eminent filmmaker and dear friend'.