Director Vasan Bala, who was still basking in the glory of all the appreciation he garnered for his last directorial Monica, O My Darling starred Huma Qureshi in the titular role, brings back yet another out-of-the-box offering, a docu-series named Cinema Marte Dum Tak. It is the director’s ode to all the cheesy films that were made in the previous decades in Hindi. In a freewheeling chat with The Free Press Journal, Vasan talks about the docu-series and how it isn’t his conscious decision to make quirky films.
Vasan marked his directorial debut with Mard Ko Dard Nahin Hota (2018), and went on to helm a film in Ray anthology (2021) and with his latest release Monica, O My Darling (2022), he attained cult status as a filmmaker. When asked how he maintained the style of storytelling, he shares, “Making such projects wasn’t a conscious decision. I feel, in cinema, you make films to express yourself. I have been around for a long time but I didn’t get any marks hence I thought, I will make whatever I love. I was all set to get rejected so there was nothing to lose. Cinema Marte Dum Tak also comes from within."
A still from Cinema Marte Dum Tak |
When further asked how he keeps a balance between mainstream commercial aspects with the weird storytelling, he explains, “I have grown up watching Naseeb (1981). In those days, we used to watch films on a big white cloth, but those are very blurry memories and then I started loving Amitabh Bachchan, and Shah Rukh Khan. Besides Doordarshan, there were a lot of mainstream films we were fed to. It was a very healthy mix palate of mainstream films with the Ramsay films. Back then, I loved every single film until friends used to come and tell me that it was a bad film.”
Such kind of storytelling comes with risk factors, on this, he tells, “There are no set formulas to tell a story. Sameera, a friend pitched me an opportunity to build a docu-series. We spoke about the structure and every positive possibility. Earlier, you needed a Shyam Benegal or a Vijay Anand to make films but today one can just try because the culture has become more democratic.”On a parting note, he believes that after Monica... the industry has started taking him more seriously. “Monica... actually gave me a little bit of confidence. Now, at least, people call me and discuss my ideas, which is great,” he signs off.
