I’m Not Here To Give Solutions: Director Madhur Bhandarkar (Interview)

Chandini Bar, Page 3, Corporate, Traffic Signal, now, Fashion and next, Jail. It doesn’t take much to grasp what a Madhur Bhandarkar film is about. My titles say it all,” he says. A title is enough to get everyone — those belonging to that particular industry, the audience and the media — curious about his projects. Not surprisingly then that even though Madhur has only been researching for his latest venture, Fashion, for the last eight months and started shooting just a couple of months ago, the film’s always been in the news.

“People think the film’s been in the making for a long time. All sorts of things are being said about it — about the stars, catfights, budget, trouble with the fashion frat and whatnot!” says the director. The hype does bother him, he confesses. “The expectations are sky high and everyone’s waiting for the film’s release with daggers in their hands,” Madhur says. Not that criticism worries him. “The idea to make a film comes from my own curiosity to know what goes on behind the scenes of certain industries. While watching a ramp show, I thought I’d take a sneak peek at some of the stories and politics of the fashion world,” he says.

During the making of the film, Madhur met several people, was inspired by a lot of models, roped in many big names from the fash frat and moulded them to satisfy his fictional instincts. “Ultimately, a film is a story. A story I’ve heard that’s worth telling,” he says.

If his stories offend people, he can’t help it. “The newspapers and TV channels get away with a lot of scoops and gossip. No one objects to that. Why attack my films?” asks Madhur, adding that there’s also the pressure of ending his films on a “happy” note. “I don’t make preachy films and I’m not here to give solutions. My films are a reflection of society. That’s why they have real endings, not reel ones. They make people think,” he says. So, when people accuse him of moral policing, he takes it as a compliment. “I was at a hospital visiting my friend’s father, and a doctor asked me whether I was making a movie on hospitals. People expect me to expose the other side. My next film, Jail, also tells the tale of inmates and jailers,” he adds.

The budget is subjective, he says. “Page 3, Corporate and Fashion are high society films and need to look good. But Traffic Signal and Jail need minimum investment. I’m ok with both,” says Madhur, dismissing the fact that most big-budget films released of late have flopped. “I’m an experimental filmmaker. It’s a risk and I’m ready to take it,” he says.

About women protagonists, Madhur says, “They’re my lucky mascots. After living with my mother, wife and daughter, I feel I can get into a woman’s psyche with ease and communicate problems effectively through them.” He adds, “I use big stars to pull in the audience initially. After the first couple of shows, my films speak for themselves.”

SOURCE: Timesofindia