“My Agenda Is My Cinema”

His films touch the innermost part of the heart and give you the ultimate happy high when you walk out of the theatre. But what really makes SHOOJIT SIRCAR happy? He tells VIRAJ SAWANT.

- Viraj Sawant

His forte is to blur the lines between commercial cinema and films with a message. Nobody does it with the ease that Shoojit Sircar does. YAHAAN, VICKY DONOR, PIKU, MADRAS CAFE and now PINK. Eleven years in the industry, he still has his sensibilities and sensitivities intact. Not losing himself in this glamorous quagmire, this gifted filmmaker manages to bring out the emotions with the simplest films we see and he lives for this high in life.

Eleven long years in this industry, how has your journey been?

It has been quite satisfying. The general perception of Bollywood is that you have to compromise a lot on your freedom. So far I have tried to protect myself, as much as I could. I won’t say I wasn’t polluted by the conventions of the Hindi film industry or Bollywood. I am glad I’ve been able to do the kind of films I’ve wanted to make.

Hitting the jackpot with PINK, your first film as a producer, how did it happen for you?

Normally I don’t work as a producer. My friend Ronnie Lahiri is the producer. I am normally involved creatively in all my films. For me, it doesn’t change anything. The sort of work I do as a director is the same kind of work I do as a creative producer. For PINK, I was the writer as well. I was pretty much involved in this one as with any other film. In every department of filmmaking, I give my 100%.

Did you anticipate the level of success that PINK received?