Interview: There was no one to understand my story then, I spent whatever money I got- Shoojit Sarkar

Reaching Mumbai was the biggest achievement for me

Coming from an Air Force background, filmmaker Shoojit Sircar has also worked as an accountant in Delhi. But after attending the International Film Festival in Delhi, he got inclined towards films. He says, 'Sometimes I don't understand how I came to this field? When I was in Delhi, I used to think that I was doing some drama. I did not act, I used to do backstage. I got a chance to connect with good people. I got a chance to do good work. But we used to see Mumbai from a distance. I never thought that I would have to go to Mumbai. I thought that I would spend my life in Delhi only. But then, I realized that going to Mumbai is the end result of my life. I felt that reaching Mumbai is already an achievement for me. I did not need any other achievement. I never thought that I would be able to go to Mumbai. So, I reached Mumbai. Now what else do I need

I spent all the money I had earned

Two-time National Award winner Shoojit Sircar also had to go through a phase of struggle and rejection. He says, 'I also had to struggle, but I had no problem with it. I faced everything with a smile. I spent as much money as I earned. The biggest rejection for me came when I did not ask for help from anyone for my first film. Me and my friend Ronnie (Ronnie Screwvala) now produce our films ourselves. At that time I did not find anyone who could understand my story and invest money in it. This was the biggest rejection for me. Then I decided that now I will not go to anyone. Now I will earn money myself, save it and make my films myself. This was the biggest lesson for me. From then I learned that if you want to say something, then it is possible that many people may not agree with you, which is natural. It is possible that your thoughts, your ideas may not suit them, so at least you should do it yourself. You should have enough resources so that you can make your film.'

The budget of films is not increased unnecessarily

There is no doubt that all of Shoojit Sircar's films have been critically acclaimed, but even he cannot predict what will happen at the box office. He says, 'All my films have been unpredictable, so I am not surprised. When one of my films works, I myself do not know how my film has done. I thought 'October' would work, but it did not. I felt that I have done a very good job in 'October'. But people liked 'Sardar Udham' a lot, yet many people did not like it. Some people said about the Jallianwala Bagh scene that we do not want to see so much violence. And some people said that they have never seen a scene like Jallianwala Bagh. The most important thing is that I do not increase the budget of my films too much. I avoid spending unnecessarily and increasing the budget of films. I try to keep the budget reasonable. In this way, if the film is not able to achieve great commercial success, it will not be a big shock. I focus on making my films the best I can with the resources available. I believe it is important to make films that you believe in and if it connects with the audience, it will be the icing on the cake.

I was very nervous to be a jury member at IFFM

Shoojit, who recently served as a jury member for short films at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM), says, “This is the 15th edition of IFFM and when I was selected as a jury member, I was nervous at first. But I liked the theme this time. I liked the idea of ​​'All Over Voices'. Everyone's voice should be heard. So I liked the basic idea. And then I know Mithu Bhowmick Lange (IFFM founder and director) from Delhi. She is our friend from Delhi. I have been to this festival 3-4 times, so I have a personal connection with this festival. Everything is like home. Everyone is taken care of. Anyway, I like the format of short films. If a short film is good, then its reach can be as big as it wants. The budget is low, but the technique and technology are not less. Be it the actors, the quality of acting, the music, the cinematography. There are many short films which are even better than feature films.”