I take films for a reason: Prasoon Joshi

Scriptwriter, ad guru, poet and Padma Shri winner this year —Prasoon Joshi has aced whatever he has set his mind to.
The Bhaag Milkha Bhaag scribe, who was in Kochi recently as part of an advertising convention, took time off from his swamped schedule to talk about Kerala, what drives him and how important it is to have an authentic voice in the field of cinema and advertising.
You have made your mark in poetry, cinema and communication. Which hat are you most comfortable wearing?
All three start with ideas and how to communicate them. Advertising is my day job and something that takes up most of my time. I take up film projects once in two years and have a specified time allotted for it. If you look at my film projects, I have taken each project — be it Taare Zameen Par or Bhaag Milkha Bhaag — for a clear reason. I believe we all owe something to ourselves and the film projects are something that I did for myself.
Does working in different areas keep your ideas fresh?
Yes, it does. A lot of artistic people get frustrated if they keep doing the same work again. They crave to find an avenue to vent those ideas but often those artistic needs are not met. I try to be clear about what idea fits where. Some ideas can be used for a feature film while the others for ads. It’s important not to get that mixed up.
You have aced pretty much all you have done. What drives you?
I have been fortunate that most of my work was well received. But now I have started seeing the happiness of other people. Even when I was honoured with the Padma Shri, my parents were delighted. So right now if my movie or my ads are going to delight other people, it drives me.
How important is it to have an authentic voice in the ads as well as movies?
The audience or the viewer right now is analysing everything you are saying. I grew up in a small village in Almora, Uttarakhand, where there was just one theatre. People used to throng there on Fridays to see ‘moving pictures’ and they were treated to a rich experience. Today, people just have to flick a finger on their mobile and they get more than 20 films. Films are no more a novelty. Having an authentic voice becomes even more important in ads as they are intrusions when the consumer is watching something else. So if the ads are not rewarding, they are going to boycott it altogether.
Does an advertisement with a pretty face work more than one without it?
Pretty faces are not enough anymore as consumers are well informed now. The content and idea are important. If pretty faces alone would do the trick, why are so many films with superstars flopping? Even the fan base of superstars have started asking questions. They are telling the actors not to take them for granted.
What do you like most about Kerala?
It’s only my second time here and it’s a beautiful place. Next time I will make it a point to be here longer to enjoy Kerala.