I don't worry about making my films accessible

Filmmaker Achal Mishra talks about his documentary on Hindi writer Vinod Kumar Shukla, the long struggle of editing the film, his thoughts on adapting the writer's stories, and more

- SHREYAS PANDE

LENDING the mundane with the magical, the poems of Vinod Kumar Shukla weave a world of their own. The earthly sounds of Hindi are so rooted in his poems that it's difficult to imagine them in a different language. For instance, consider the titles of his poems translated into English by Arvind Krishna Mehrotra: 'Kabhi Ke Baad Abhi' becomes 'After then comes now', and 'Koi Adhura Poora Nahi Hota' becomes 'Nothing unfinished is completed'. Or take the title of his novel, Deewar Mein Ek Khidki Rehti Thi, which becomes A Window Lived in a Wall when translated by Satti Khanna to English. It is difficult to retain the luminous essence of his words in a different language. Director Achal Mishra understands this struggle. The title of his newest film (streaming on MUBI), capturing Shukla at his home over two afternoons, is named after his poem 'Chaar Phool Hai Aur Duniya Hai'. Achal feels it is nearly impossible to render this in another language.