Cinema is a tool, not a power: Rakeysh
Filmmaker Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, who says that films should address social issues, believes in making them appealing
One thing common to most movies that filmmaker Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra has backed so far is that the stories had something in them to inspire people. If Rang De Basanti (2006) ignited the passion of patriotism among Gen Next, Bhaag Milkha Bhaag (2013) inspired everyone with its underdog story. His latest, Fanney Khan, highlights the issue of body shaming.
Have these been conscious choices? “I don’t know. A lot of things move you. God has brought me to this position where I can make cinema. However, it’s a tool, not power. Some people think they have got it [power]. But even the biggest personality in the country doesn’t have power, he’s just being chosen to do that duty,” he shares.
Mehra, who has also directed Delhi-6 (2009) and Mirzya (2016), believes that circumstances, for him, are the biggest inspiration for stories.
“I move out on the streets, and see so much of struggle among common people. All over the world, I see financial institutions rising and falling. There’s been war in the Middle East for the longest time. Terrorism and rapes ka toh aisa ho gaya hai ki hum sunte hain aur desensitise ho jaate hain. So, all this, including gender bias and body shaming should be reflected in popular art,” he opines.
The filmmaker feels that while he does tackle social issues in films such as Delhi 6 or Fanney Khan, he wants to make them commercially appealing too. “I am a part of popular cinema, not a fine arts painter. I believe in the fact that if your work can go out to millions of people, it should be for the right reasons,” he says.