'I don't believe in the term art films'Abhay Deol

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Yay! We've completed 100 years, what should I say about that. Well, it's good to be one of the oldest film industries around. Umm, a lot more to draw inspiration from, I guess.

Not at all.

This industry has been largely driven by insiders but it's changing now. There are a lot of outsiders coming into the industry, which is good. Also, finance has started coming from different areas. One must understand, with change comes a lot of resistance. When I say resistance, I don't mean it from the people who are used to a certain way but from people who are money minded. Creative people from the industry are struggling to make their mark. More than change the struggle is showing. But that's just the beginning.

Well, it's a good thing only if it continues to go this way. Right now the money-minded people are also winning. And the one's who're passionate and the creative sorts are slowly climbing the ladder. Anyone can win right now. This could go towards a renaissance of sorts. Maybe, like a departure from traditional filmmaking. Or it could roll back into the same old rut of turning filmmaking into solely a moneymaking business venture.

I'm happy with the way I've been working so far. Obviously, I feel the pressure of conforming to certain industry norms but I try not pay heed to them. I've resisted them so far. And I hope to continue that for a really long time. But you come from a family who has conformed to the industry norms… My family has been very supportive of me. And I've understood the films and the media from my childhood days. Being in a film family has been an advantage. When it comes to struggling and bringing about a change, my family isn't stopping me from doing that. It's the industry which is stopping me from doing what I want to do. People who play the numbers game frustrate me.

Films that don't conform to industry norms are termed as arty by many people. I don't believe in the term 'art films'. Any film is a work of art, whether it's good art or bad is subjective. But I've strived to attain balance in all of my films. I don't want to sell my soul just to make a quick buck. I also don't want to be indulgent and artistic that people don't understand me. I've never liked either of the two extremes. I've always taken the middle road.

I remember seeing some stuff of Guru Dutt, Bimal Roy and Hrishikesh Mukerjee as an impressionable child.