Bollywood is dhanda... says as he talks about Hindi cinema, Marathi cinema and much more…

Amole Gupte

he versatile actor-cumfilmmaker Amole Gupte has always rebelled against the commercial Bollywood cinema. He doesn’t even consider Bollywood to be cinema to be of any value. Although, reveres other filmmakers like Anurag Kashyap and Vishal Bhardwaj, who he thinks have maintained our pride. He is a filmmaker who believes lives the mantra – content is king. Excerpts from the interview:

TDo you have any dream team that you want to work with?

Normally, I write my own stuff so I can keep a watch on my own ambitions.

You think they would not want to work with you?

No, it’s a very big headache. Because people come with so much baggage. I wish they were more educated to leave their baggage out.

What role do you enjoy the most, front of the camera of behind?

I enjoy cooking. (Laughs) Cooking means cooking cinema as it has all the shastra. It is a new art form, just 100 yes old all others are over centuries old. So you can’t outsource that knowledge.

How are you viewing Indian cinema today, do you think that too much nepotism has made it saturated?

This happens as we create assets. You will say that I have taken my son in two of my films is a case of nepotism but it is not as it is not bringing any great financial improvement for the boy. It was just to make him aware of cinema as an art form. And now he is 16 and has different ambitious. In your nepotistic environment we all are creating assets.

Isn’t that unfair?

It is not about fair, it is about family business. They don’t want to spend crores on an outsider. Once they launch the brother than he is going to command a brand price. I guess that is the thinking. Not everyone can be Warren buffet, we don’t have his mind-set. Dhanda dhanda hai.

Some actors say that just because they don’t have a valid degree like lawyers and doctors so the media is so hard on them, do you agree?

It depends on what you are making. Do you think Bollywood cinema is of any value? It is not cinema, it is a consumable product.

But Indian cinema is revered internationally?

Don’t confuse Bimal Roy and Guru Dutt with Bollywood. Don’t mix it with the can of beans

So, you are saying those were the times and now the content in Bollywood is not worthy?

No, there are few directors. Like Vishal Bhardwaj does a lot of cutting edge stuff. He may fail but he does put out variety. Even Anurag Kashyap is a fabulous filmmaker. There are many people in Bollywood still keeping our pride.

Who is your favourite?

A. I don’t have any favourite as I look at the world also. But my favourite will be Marathi cinema.

Even Marathi cinema has evolved…

It will always grow, because they have an audience. The audience is educated and is not consuming it like a popcorn. They want social change and testing content. You have Court, Harishchandrachi Factory. But these are all greatly written text.

Are you saying that regional cinema is far better than Bollywood?

I would say in Maharashtrian cinema definitely, even in Bengal and Kerala. As you have an audience that is touched by renaissance. Right from the 70’s and the 60’s you have had a very cutting edge cinema. You have commercial and cultural regional cinema, which test itself for content as the audience is there and they come out for such films. That is a lesson to be learnt as you can’t keep chanting entertainment all your life. It is so dumbing down.

Has big names like Priyanka Chopra entering the Marathi cinema given it a new audiences?

Marathi cinema was always popular. What was there is Sairat, but it broke all records. It made above 100 crore for a two and a half crore film. Which Bollywood star has helped it? It did so well nationally, the only film to beat it was Baahubali. Here are two examples. Baahubali was where investment was made. Even the director was paid very well. The grandeur and the splendour that people have got to see was amazing. If you do it that that zeal and conviction then you will be rewarded for that.

But Bollywood is graduating towards content based cinema?

Yes, you have films like Vicky Donor, Queen and Piku. So a good film will never fail, but a bad film might succeed.