Filmmaker R Balki, known for films like
Cheeni Kum, Paa, Pad Man, and
Chup, recently interacted with college students at MIT World Peace University in the city. From anecdotes and his creative journey to the evolving dynamics of cinema, and the ‘blockbuster’ formulas, here’s a glimpse of what unfolded at the session
A still from the film 'Cheeni Kum'
On how he convinced Amitabh for 'Cheeni Kum'“I wrote a film keeping Amitabh Bachchan and Tabu in mind. I told him I loved his sarcasm and poker face, and that no other pairing could give you a romance like this one. An hour into the narration, I realised I was imitating his dialogue delivery. But he didn’t interrupt me once. Before I left, he said, ‘Let's do it’ and that’s how
Cheeni Kum happened”
His take on modern cinema“90% of the blockbusters in the recent past are some of the worst films, and damn boring. I don’t say this from an artistic or intellectual view but from the understanding of the old
, paisa vasool content. Manmohan Desai’s films had cliched stories, but there was so much of elan. The fun has completely gone missing from our blockbusters”
On how blockbuster films have become marketing gimmicks“Films have become projects that focus more on the marketing and economics of recovering the expenses. People are made to believe that a film is good. By the time they realise it’s not, the film has already made its money.
On OTT and more“The interest in cinema has changed. People watch films on OTT and if they don’t like it, they’ll switch off. You are not committed to a film. A lot of us are also producing a lot of cr*p.”
Start a Conversation
Post comment