I don’t want to be labelled as a Marathi director: Chaitanya Tamhane

Knowing yourself, protecting your instinct and expanding your vocabulary were some of the key learnings shared by Chaitanya Tamhane at the ongoing Pune International Film Festival (PIFF) where he conducted a session on ‘Lessons I have learnt so far’. During the session, Tamhane, who is known for critically acclaimed films like Court and The Disciple, also highlighted why casting is an important aspect of filmmaking and why he doesn’t want to be labelled as a Marathi director.

‘YOU HAVE TO DIVE OFF THE DEEP END’
“My mantra is to find the answer to something I may not know through the process of trial and error,” said Chaitanya while speaking about the importance of prepping and testing while making a film. He added, “You have to dive off the deep end, do it yourself and understand your own way of working. You need to know your pace, your temperament, and how you deal with feedback or interference. Once you have a better understanding of yourself, you are able to deal with others better. ”

‘ONSCREEN CASTING IS AS IMPORTANT AS OFFSCREEN’
He said that he had some torturous processes making some films. Elaborating further, he said, “And I only say this for illustrative purposes. It was my fault for not realising what the energy of a crew does to the entire set.” However, after all the experiences, he said that his instincts have only gotten better. “I had to burn my hands to learn the lessons and get here,” said he, and added that filmmaking is majorly about ego management and effective communication.

‘I AM NOT AVERSE TO MAKING FILMS IN MALAYALAM OR IN GUJARATI’
When asked about why he chose Marathi as a language to make films like Court and The Disciple, Chaitanya explained that it is all about what adds texture to the film. “The reason why I chose Marathi for both the films was that they were set in Mumbai and they weren’t set in Lokhandwala,” he quipped. Although, he makes it clear that he doesn’t want to be labelled as a Marathi director. “I am an Indian filmmaker and I am fortunate that these films have a great reach irrespective of the language. I am not averse to making films in Malayalam or in Gujarati if that’s what I think will add the right texture to the story,” he said.