We're cliffhangers who have delivered: Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury

Director Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury says he might not be expensive when it comes to being a filmmaker, but when it comes to his thoughts, they happen to be quite expensive
Success often means the number of your wellwishers almost equals the number of detractors. In your context, you have been criticized for making blatant use of in-film branding' I hate pretensions and am not apologetic about my in-film brandings.The day people stop buying pirated DVDs, I will also stop in-film branding. I might not be an expensive filmmaker but my thoughts are expensive. I'm very meticulous about what I want to show onscreen. I am okay with getting money for my movies by agreeing to give mileage to my sponsors.
But can't you be a little less on-your-face about the in-film branding? I can be more careful. When I earn the resources this way, I don't waste them for frills. Ami hero ke tuni bulb er jama porai na. Ami helicopter niye stunt shoot korina. Ami panchsho ghora chhotanor jonnyo in-film branding kori na. I use the money to make my movies look expensive. Javed Akhtar had once said that 'Antaheen's budget must be between Rs 8 crore and Rs 9 crore. But the fact was the film was made on a budget of Rs 1.5 crore! Raju Hirani, after watching the promo of 'Aparajita Tumi', asked me how I manage to make my films look that way with the budget constraints. My answer was: 'We, directors,in Bengal are used to living on the edge. We are all cliffhangers who deliver.'
Other admen-turned-directors who have made movies in Hindi or have worked from Kolkata but with Bollywood stars are more popular. Despite your National Awards, you are still not as known among the masses as Dibakar Banerjee, Shoojit Sircar or Rituparno Ghosh. Where did you not play your cards right? I am proud to have made Bengali language films. I had countless offers to shift to Mumbai but I just can't work without being in the midst of this cacophony. I can live without being recognized on the streets but I'd want my movies to be known. Once, I was introduced to a person, who after being pretty indifferent to me, changed his behaviour when someone mentioned my movies to him. It was a funny yet nice experience. Had I worked with nationally-known stars in Bengali cinema, I might have grabbed more eyeballs. But then, I don't operate that way.
Local talents involved with your television productions have grievances against you for not giving them a chance when you make movies' I am very selfish that way. I respect those who've done well in my television productions but it's my conviction that matters when I decide on who'll be on board. If I have the conviction that an actor from Kerala (read Padmapriya), who has never done Bengali cinema before is best suited for the role, I will only approach her. Kamalinee is the best Ushashie I could have got. Chandan Roy Sanyal is a pocket dynamite. Filmmaking, for me, is about creating a dhun and I search for musicians who can tune them to the dhun I dream of creating. I feel no compulsions on sentimental grounds; I don't fear taking risks either.
With directors like Srijit and Dibakar reinventing Prosenjit Chatterjee's image in their movies, did you feel any pressure of being compared to them while you directed the actor? Never. I had a role for Bumbada that I knew suited him. The role he has essayed in my movie is a diametrically opposite from 'Baishey Srabon' or 'Autograph'. Yet, I was so confident that our resonances would reach the audience's ears. Actually, I don't believe in competition. Besides, shooting for 'AT' was very tough emotionally. Here in Kolkata, my sets for 'Megher Palok' got burnt while I was shooting in the US. Padmapriya's visa got delayed by 20 days while the whole unit was waiting for her to arrive in the US. Both Shoojit and my money were bleeding in two countries for two different reasons. We were almost on the verge of the film not getting made when things fell into place.
Many say that Tony's success is a byproduct of having Indrani as a partner in his professional and personal life. True or false? Indrani is very balanced, calm and takes care of things so that I can get my own space to function my way. She has done the productiondesign for 'AT', I am privileged.
What are the parameters that have made you the Tony that you are today? Five per cent of who I am today is because of being at the right place at the right time. The rest of the factors include perseverance, Indrani's presence, contribution of my office colleagues to keep me grounded, understanding of life and cinema and power of judgment.
Can Tony, who loves his drinks with friends every alternate evening, hold a mirror to himself and recognize the person who used to once supply food for production units? Yes, I can. Till I turned 30, I had to depend on my friends to use an aftershave. I haven't distanced myself from my middle-class background. For years, I used to live in a two-room house in Paschim Putiari where we didn't even have a bathroom inside the house. Travelling in general compartments, pasting theatre posters on walls, not getting paid for the bit roles I did in serials ' these were part of my struggle days. Today, life might be different. But I am still not brand conscious.
What's that one thing you had back then that you don't now? Anek shanti chhilo. There was no worry of having to perform. Without a care in the world, I travelled across the whole of South India with my pals on a budget tour package as if I was a king. But yes, there was also a fear about the future. Today, the compulsions are different and so are the thrills. I have no regrets.
What are the five indispensable things that you need to lead a decent life for 24 hours? My friends, my familiar surrounding, a phone, a home theatre, a music system and Rs 500.