Eager to do courageous films: Amit ‘Newton’ Masurkar

Director Amit V Masurkar is evidently in a happy space at the moment, with his film Newton impressing audiences and critics alike, and is India’s official entry to the 2018 Oscars. The director says he’s always up for making meaningful films avoiding the beaten path. “I personally get bored watching a regular film. There’s nothing new that you can get from them. There are many who feel the same, and [for that reason] constantly download films and TV series, or watch them on other platforms. So, when I am making a film, I make sure I choose a subject that interests me. Otherwise, if I’ve been working on something for two years, it should be good enough to keep me engaged emotionally, mentally and physically. Otherwise, I’ll end up making a dishonest film,” says Amit, who made his first feature debut with Sulemani Keeda (2014), and has also directed short films, L (2015) and Life After (2016). The director also points out that while making a film, it’s important to be courageous enough to choose unique subjects. He says, “A lot of our films aren’t doing well these days because we aren’t doing anything daring. And then, when someone goes out of their way to do something interesting, people have a problem with it. They also look forward to the film not doing well, so that they can criticise the maker.” Referring to large-scale, successful projects that have dared to introduce innovation in mainstream films, Amit explains, “I think we should be competing with Hollywood films now, since their collections in India are at times more than our films. Look at Aamir Khan’s Dangal. The film proves that we can experiment with content.”

PHOTO: VIDYA SUBRAMANIAN/HT Amit Masurkar’s film Newton is going to the Oscars, next year