Taking the legacy forward
Filmmaker Meghna Gulzar on making movies seminal to societal progress .
Meghna assisted her father Gulzar for films, such as Machis and Hu Tu Tu. PHOTO: PUBLICITY
NEW DELHI:
In 2002, when experimental cinema was not as welcome as it is today, Meghna Gulzar dared to be different with Filhaal..., a film on surrogacy. The filmmaker is only glad she is ahead of time with her creativity.
Filhaal..., even though it was appreciated, didn’t do very well commercially. Back then, people had said, and even continue to say, that had Filhaal... been released now, it would have made more sense.
“Yes, it was ahead of its time. But I am fine with that. I would rather be that than be outdated,” Meghna, the daughter of celebrated writer Gulzar and veteran actor Rakhee, said in an interview.
On the relevance of films, Meghna’s forthcoming film Talvar — a retelling of three investigation theories behind the Aarushi Talwar-Hemraj murder case — comes at an apt time when the Sheena Bora murder case has been keeping people at the edge of their seats.
She couldn’t agree more, and averred that “cinema has been reflecting society since before”, and it continues to be so.
“When farmers’ plight was an issue, when labourers had problems, we had Do Bigha Zameen ... when the industrial workers’ problems were an issue;,we had films and characters based on that. Right now we are making films on parents killing children because that is what is happening in society,” said the 41-year-old, who is a mother herself.
Read: Vishal Bhardwaj and Gulzar praise Wrong No
Nevertheless, she pointed out, “I am not saying everyone is conscientious ... some may be climbing the bandwagon for the controversy or the scandal. Having said that, I don’t think it’s like that across the board.”
Citing relevant examples to back her point, Meghna, who assisted her writer-filmmaker father for movies like Maachis and Hu Tu Tu, said, “When Bandit Queen was made, it was not because of the scandal, it was because the maker felt the story needed to be told. When Maachis and Border were made, these were stories that needed to be told.”
She added, “It’s not the intent of making films on real events which is scandalous, it is when the incident itself is scandalous that the film becomes scandalous.”
Published in The Express Tribune, September 22nd, 2015.
In 2002, when experimental cinema was not as welcome as it is today, Meghna Gulzar dared to be different with Filhaal..., a film on surrogacy. The filmmaker is only glad she is ahead of time with her creativity.
Filhaal..., even though it was appreciated, didn’t do very well commercially. Back then, people had said, and even continue to say, that had Filhaal... been released now, it would have made more sense.
“Yes, it was ahead of its time. But I am fine with that. I would rather be that than be outdated,” Meghna, the daughter of celebrated writer Gulzar and veteran actor Rakhee, said in an interview.
On the relevance of films, Meghna’s forthcoming film Talvar — a retelling of three investigation theories behind the Aarushi Talwar-Hemraj murder case — comes at an apt time when the Sheena Bora murder case has been keeping people at the edge of their seats.
She couldn’t agree more, and averred that “cinema has been reflecting society since before”, and it continues to be so.
“When farmers’ plight was an issue, when labourers had problems, we had Do Bigha Zameen ... when the industrial workers’ problems were an issue;,we had films and characters based on that. Right now we are making films on parents killing children because that is what is happening in society,” said the 41-year-old, who is a mother herself.
Read: Vishal Bhardwaj and Gulzar praise Wrong No
Nevertheless, she pointed out, “I am not saying everyone is conscientious ... some may be climbing the bandwagon for the controversy or the scandal. Having said that, I don’t think it’s like that across the board.”
Citing relevant examples to back her point, Meghna, who assisted her writer-filmmaker father for movies like Maachis and Hu Tu Tu, said, “When Bandit Queen was made, it was not because of the scandal, it was because the maker felt the story needed to be told. When Maachis and Border were made, these were stories that needed to be told.”
She added, “It’s not the intent of making films on real events which is scandalous, it is when the incident itself is scandalous that the film becomes scandalous.”
Published in The Express Tribune, September 22nd, 2015.