'I Am' is not about homosexuality: Onir

Onir,whose film I Am released last Friday, confesses that he did not have money topay his actors yet managed to assemble a strong cast comprising Nandita Das,Juhi Chawla, Rahul Bose, Sanjay Suri and Abhimanyu Singh.
The film was shot ina mere 24 days at a budget of Rs 3 crores. Excerpts from aninterview:
IAm released on Friday along with fourother films. Does that make you apprehensive?
Each film is ofa different genre and defines its own audience.Anything good will find itsaudience. Footfall in the theatres has been increasing as there is a good buzzsurrounding thefilm.
How did you manageto assemble such a cast?
We did not have money to offer theactors. Each of the cast members did this film only because the script excitedthem.
Which is your favoritestory out of the four?
'I Am Megha' is very special to me asit is based on the loss of home and identity. I was born and brought up inBhutan and had to leave the country due to political situations. Loss of home isa subject that touches mepersonally.
Rahul Bose wasannoyed with you because you used his kissing scene with Arjun Mathur forpublicity.
Rahul and I have a different take on that. I feel ascene of two people kissing is a beautiful emotion. There is no drama between meand Rahul. We respect eachother.
The film has beenpublicised on the basis of homosexuality. Please comment.
Somejournalists just love slotting things. People love to stereotype. If you searchon Google, you will find more articles on 'I Am Abhimanyu' and 'I Am Megha' thanon 'I Am Omar'. A majority of the interviews are of Nandita Das, Juhi Chawla andManisha Koirala. Nor there is any press release that saysI Am is a film on homosexuality; ifthat's true, I'll change myname!
How did the idea of fundraising through audience strike you?
We raised one-third ofthe budget through Facebook and the internet. It helped us in activating theactive audience and volunteers who are also theco-owners.
IAm has garnered some very good reviews.What is the best compliment you’ve received for it sofar?
One reviewer of the film just texted me saying,“I Am not only breaks heart butalso opens up yourheart”.
One thing youtell all your actors?
Don’t act, just feelit.
Will you ever make acommercial film?
One needs to redefine the word commercial. Ifa film is made with hundred crores and recovers only half of it and on the otherhand if a film is made in three crores and makes fifteen crores, doesn’tthat make it commercial? Every filmmaker makes a film with a commercial sense orelse how will he continue to make films? Of course, a client who prefers Nike isdifferent from one who prefers Bata. Films likeDo Dooni Chaar,Band Baaja Baaraat andUdaan are commercial films and I enjoywatching such films, but definitely not a film likeTees MaarKhan.
What do you do inyour free time?
I travel, read, watch movies, cook, spend timewith friends, do gardening andswim.
Could you tell us aboutyour future projects?
I am working on a film calledShabd which is set in Delhi and dealswith multiple relationship stories and the other one is calledThe Face which is set in Kashmir and isa political thriller.