Shuttling between France and India for the release of his acclaimed feature film Masaan, director Neeraj Ghaywan is a rather busy man. But he made sure that he was home, in Hyderabad, for his father’s 69th birthday. “Last year, I couldn’t make it but my father insisted that I come down this time because this is one day when the family gets together,” says Neeraj.
And this year, celebrations are also in order for the filmmaker as his movie not only received a five-minute standing ovation at the 68th Cannes Film Festival, but also managed to win the FIPRESCI, the International Jury of Film Critics prize and the Promising Future prize. An elated Shaila, one of Neeraj’s three sisters, says, “Even though he is in town for just one day, we sisters dressed up similarly, like we used to in our childhood, and went to receive him at the airport.”
His eldest sister, Smita adds, “He is the youngest of the four siblings and yet he has always been responsible, hardworking and humble. When he was in school, his class was once taken to the Golconda Fort for a field trip. We gave him pocket money so that he could buy something for himself, but instead he got three pairs of earrings for us, his sisters. His success has also inspired me because it has reinstated one thing — it is never too late to follow your dreams.”
On his return to his hometown, Neeraj too is inundated with memories. “I remember, one of the first film critiques I wrote, while I was studying in CBIT, was published in Deccan Chronicle. My parents were so proud of me that they had even laminated the paper-cutting and kept it with them,” he says.
Neeraj’s celebration party is still a surprise but he is more than happy to be home. “I grew up watching films of veterans like Shyam Benegal and Satyajit Ray and my parents, in a way, have made me develop a very realistic approach towards cinema,” adds Neeraj, who is heading back to France on June 7.
