Bollywood will always try to strangle independent voices, asserts Dibakar Banerjee
Mumbai: Dibakar Banerjee did not hold himself back when he commented about status quo Indian cinema.
"Bollywood will always try to strangle something which threatens it. But fortunately for the last 10 years Bollywood hasn't been able to strangle the independent voices. I am standing in front of you as a result of that," he opined.
Referring to himself as an ‘aberration’, who managed to survive in the industry, the 'Shanghai' maker says he is hopeful that the works of filmmakers like Gurvinder Singh of 'Chauthi Koot' and Kanu Behl who made last year’s 'Titli' will get their due.
"I am definitely part of Bollywood but not a part of the formula. I am probably a very interesting aberration in the film industry. There should not be any reason why I should be here but here I am, still working.
"If I can survive, then more talented and uncompromising filmmakers like Gurvinder (Singh) can survive. We need to recognise who we should reward and hold up as people who make us proud all over the world. The next wave has to start. People like Gurvinder and Kanu have to be given their due, otherwise the world will laugh at us", he posited.
The director spoke during the special screening of Gurvinder's Punjabi film 'Chauthi Koot', which is based on the short stories 'The Fourth Direction' and 'I Am Feeling Fine Now' from author Waryam Singh Sandhu's 2005 collection, 'Chauthi Koot'.
’Chauthi Koot’ had its world premiere in the 'Un Certain Regard' section at the Cannes Film Festival last year. Impressed with the sensitive depiction of the Punjab of 1980s, the time of Sikh separatist movement, Dibakar said the film needs to reach a larger audience.
"I didn't want to come out of the hall. Films like these are becoming a rarity. It's for those films Indian cinema was once known for.
"It's an interesting situation that a film which created sensation internationally is now coming to India and I hope media, friends of cinema and people, who call themselves tastemakers of cinema, can rally behind this kind of film and tell the Indian audience that there is something which is of tremendous watchable quality."
The movie won the Singapore International Film Festival Silver Screen Award for Best Asian Feature Film in December 2015.
'Chauthi Koot', which also won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Punjabi, will release this Friday.
