UP govt should announce film policy soon: Anubhav Sinha

Anubhav Sinha (BCCL/ Farhan Ahmed Siddiqui)

Director Anubhav Sinha, who wrapped up a marathon 28-day schedule of his film 'Mulk' in Lucknow recently, is now savouring the Lakhnawi weather and the food. We met him when he attended a literature festival in the city and spoke about Mulk, his journey as a filmmaker and why his vision has shifted to making films rooted in Indian culture.
The talk begins with his experience of shooting in Lucknow, and Sinha, like all filmmakers who have shot in the city earlier, says, "It was lovely shooting here in Lucknow. Mazaa aaya. It turned out to be better than I imagined.”
But apologizing for coming to make a movie in his home state so late in life," the Banarasi filmmaker says, "It's just that I've made eight movies but kuchh zyada hi waqt lag gaya mujhe yahan aane mein. I am guilty of coming to UP to shoot a film rather late in life," he says, with a shake of his head, adding, "I want to make a

Bhojpuri

film now. Hindi films toh banaunga hi, but I also want to make a Bhojpuri film. It's sad how they are perceived by and large as C Grade cinema. Whereas Bhojpuri is such a beautiful language. Bhojpuri music kitni achhi hai. I remember listening to Girija Devi’' songs and now all we hear in the name of Bhojpuri music is '

Lollypop Lage Lu

'. I want people to watch Bhojpuri films in multiplexes."
Anubhav adds, "There are was a time in between when the good content was being shown in Bhojpuri cinema. Phir achanak gayab ho gaya. I want to also promote Bhojpuri music. Hamare gharon mein pehle Bhojpuri gaane gaaye jate thay shaadi-byaah mein, now it’s all getting lost."
But the '

Gulaab Gang

' director agrees that selling a Bhojpuri film will be a difficult proposition. "I had a tough time selling 'Gulaab Gang' when it had Madhuri Dixit and Juhi Chawla in it and was according to me an interesting subject. I'm sure mujhe ek saaf-suthri Bhojpuri film ke liye finanaces ikattha karne mein bahut problem hogi. But I will do it. I guess music will be easier. I'll be able to raise money for Bhojpuri music, but I'm not too sure about films. Maybe through people like you I am able to create an awareness for somebody who’s also been thinking likewise. But zimmedari banti hai mere jaise logon ki ki hum Bhojpuri cinema ke liye kuchh karein. Anurag Kashyap also wants to make Bhojpuri films. Anurag toh bahut pehle se local stories based films bana raha hai, but for me, it's the first time that I have come to my home state to make a film. And I must say that it has changed a lot about me as a filmmaker – the fact that I shot in UP. You will see the change in me in my career ahead."
Like most filmmakers, Sinha too is eager to know about the film policy of UP and whether the old one started by the previous government will continue or not. "I don't know if there is a film policy now in UP, I personally haven't applied for it. Koi yeh nahi bol raha hai ki nahi hai, magar koi yeh bhi nahi bol raha hai ki hai. But there is no reason why the present government shouldn't take it forward because the previous government's policy has actually done good to the state. It’s fetched it the National Award for the Most Film Friendly State. And the policy should continue because UP has beautiful locations to shoot at. Yahan kahaaniyan kitni hain kehne ko. Lucknow mein locations dekh ke main pareshan ho gaya tha ki kya-kya hai yahan pe. Phir mujhe bataya gaya ki yeh toh sirf Lucknow hai, aap shehar ke baahar ja ke dekhiye aur achhe locations hain. Yahan hi nahi poore UP mein. So inn cheezon pe kaam hona chahiye. The government should announce a film policy soon."

Anubhav Sinha explaining a shot to his cameraman at Dada Miyan ki dargah in Lucknow while shooting for 'Mulk' (BCCL/ Farhan Ahmed Siddiqui)

"The state should take advantage of this trend of stories of small places and because of them, these smaller cities being highlighted. Ab filmmakers ka interest shift ho raha hai to smaller places and cities. We have seen that local is more global. For example, jab Nadiya Ke Paar bani, poori India ne kyun dekhi? Rajshri ki ek film hai Vivaah, woh itna kyun chali? Because the stories were of you and I, of a small town middle class family. People identified with the story, situations, characters. Unhe usmein kuchh apnapan laga. These movies did well because they were about local people, local culture, traditions. There's so much interesting happening in the smaller parts of India, in terms of migration, identity crisis, what is a big city- a small city. The culture’s changing, it’s in a state of transition. There are so many conflicts, so many beautiful stories that are here that’s why these smaller places and their stories will remain in vogue in Bollywood for a very long time. So UP should take advantage of this and have a good film policy."
Talking about Sinha shifting towards making films he believes in now, prompts us to ask him why it took him so long to do so. Especially after films like 'Tum Bin', with newcomers and lesser known actors to 'Ra.One' and 'Gulaab Gang'. "i’d say that I probably fell prey to the system in the sense that I thought I'll be able to make a successful movie if I have big actors in it. You see, it's very difficult to define success and you keep defining it for yourself. And I was going through a phase where I thought a bigger film would mean more success. But now I feel – maybe age has caught up with me and my definition of success has changed – now I'm dying to tell the stories that I want to tell. If I end up telling those stories, that will mean success to me now. Not necessarily a 100 or 150 crore box office hit. Yes, my film should make money but I should make films that I can’t live without making them. That is success to me, now. I love Rohit Shetty's films, I love Bhansali's films, but that is their choice and their vision. I don't have that much of patience like Bhansali to see each and every frame of my film. That is their way of making a film but mine is different, mine is films like 'Mulk' now, rooted in our tradition, culture and which is our story. I have never felt so happy after making a film as I have after making 'Mulk'. So now you will see more rooted films from me, rooted in myself. I will still make a film like 'Ra.One' whenever I want to, nothing against that. But right now I'm in that phase in life where films about my country, my world and my society mean more to me," says Sinha, adding, "I will be making one more movie in Lucknow. In fact, there are at least two scripts that I have which will be shot here. But when, I don’t know. I have come to understand that every movie has a destiny. The intention right now is to make these two films."