I'm shifting to Delhi: Onir

It’s a decision that may help him in shooting his next flick in Delhi, but for director Onir, the thought of shifting base from Mumbai to Delhi has been a difficult one.
Onir was in Delhi this weekend to launch the screenplay of his first movie “My Brother Nikhil”, and it’s then that he told us of his decision to switch between the two cities. He said, “It’s something that I have been feeling very seriously for a while now.I will make the shift post August, once I am done with the release of my movie “I AM”. I think Delhi will give me more space to breathe, as a director and as an individual. And I anyway want to shoot my next movie in Delhi and Srinagar, so that’s a double whammy for me.”
Over the last year, Onir has made several visits to the city and his recent visit to Hauz Khas Village clinched the deal for him. He said, “To start with, at least for half the year, I would be in Delhi. It has to do with the greenery and the energy around art and culture here. Also, I like the fact that it’s a more open society.”
Even though Onir says he has heard about ‘heady on power’ character of the city, he feels that the city itself is a good alternative for him. He added, “The only thing that scares me about Delhi is that there is an element of brashness in the money culture. But, that way, no place is perfect. In Mumbai, for various reasons, I don’t get to meet artistes from other spheres, which would be easier in Delhi and would help me grow. Also, there is energy in the youth here for different human rights issues like gender and sexuality rights. I would like to be more involved in all kinds of human rights activities through my cinema and I feel that in Delhi, I will find that support system better.”
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