| When your co-producer is someone of a different sensibility, isn't your creative freedom at stake?
I only do films with the 'money man' I share a common ground with. There are instances where I have refused to work with a producer because our sensibilities didn't match. But so far, nobody has had the power to curb my creativity. If someone attempts that, I would rather not make the film.
So, would you consider yourself lucky?
Not really. I had to struggle a lot and this was not an easy journey. I am not passionate about money. It is creative freedom that is my only goal and concern. And I make sure I get that. Earlier, I had tried to compromise on my music I did some music that I wasn't really convinced about, and I failed miserably. I am not going to do that with films.
Do you ever feel the danger of getting jaded or your initial passion fading?
You mean have I lost my sheen? At the end of the day, the film stands naked in front of the audience and everyone can see what kind of a filmmaker is behind that particular kind of cinema. The intensity may vary, but the personality of the filmmaker shines through. Some said Maqbool was my best film, some vouched for Omkara. While Saat Khoon Maaf was hated universally, Matru ki Bijli ka Mandola was loved by some and hated by some. For me, it is difficult to see any of my films with such perspective. I had spent the same amount of energy in Makdi as I did in Matru….
Looking back, what do you think went wrong with Saat Khoon Maaf?
It was black humour and it was intense and people took it way too seriously. Also, I hated the make up used on the older Priyanka Chopra. The make up team flew all the way from Los Angeles. But the team that came here was not the one we had met during the testing. The make up looked terrible in the rushes and although they had assured me they'd rectify it, nothing was done. However, that was not the only reason, and if people had liked the film, they would have pardoned the make up. When I was making Matru... I knew that I was going on this mad trip, and only those who are mad like me, would like it. Javed Akhtar had once told me: "Make movies that you like, if they flop, at least there will be one person who liked the film." I know that there is no way I can please everyone. Maqbool was liked by most, but Naseeruddin Shah hated it.
Does your confidence soar or ebb with hits and flops?
Not with direction, but I get scared while writing scripts. After a film is not liked, you are back to zero. I have full confidence in the way I execute a film, but script is the beast, and all my life, I feel threatened by this beast. |
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