‘I’m cheap, but I deliver quality’

Filmmaker Dibakar Banerjee, who is known for offbeat films such as Khosla Ka Ghosla (2006), Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye! (2008) and Shanghai (2012), says that the secret to his success is that he does not charge as much as other successful filmmakers.

“I have survived as I am cheap and I have made much less money than my contem- poraries. I charge much less than a successful filmmaker. My films cost much less. Something as lavish and as much of a visual feast like Detective Byomkesh Bakshy! was made on a minuscule budget compared to a typical Bollywood period film. It was made on 50% of a typical period film budget. But the look, style and feel actually added to the film. I am cheap and I deliver quality which is above the average line. That is how I survive,” he says.

Talking about his films, he says that he has never tried to stay within the boundaries of what works in Bollywood. “The kind of films I have made and what I am producing right now completely flies in the face of the logic that Bollywood can give itself to predict the commercial success or survival of a film,” he says, adding, “My film Titli also had a story which was accessible to everyone. People should be able to relate to the story without any dumbing down or layers being cut.”

Meanwhile, most of his films have been based in Delhi and the filmmaker says this is because he can relate well to the place. “I’m from Delhi. That’s the world I know very intimately. The kind of films that I do need details of nuances of culture. This comes easiest to me as I am from Delhi,” he says.

PHOTO: VIDYA SUBRAMANIAM/ HT