Having been a film critic for several publications, Anupama Chopra is now founder and editor of Film Companion, a platform for film lovers. Besides being a Festival Director of MAMI and mother to her two children with Vidhu Vinod Chopra. Taking time out from her busy schedule, she tells Hi! Blitz why critics and actors can never be friends and the one time she held back from being critical because she was just too emotional.
What’s the trickiest part of being a film critic?
Though I love movies, it’s hard to go in always fully excited. And when you see too many bad ones in a row you just have this existential crisis of ‘why do I do this’ or ‘who gives a shit’ (laughs)... But you can’t take any cynicism into that film with you; you have to go in feeling it’s going to be great because it’s unfair otherwise. Or bring any snobbery with you, like I didn’t like Grand Masti, but I will go into Great Grand Masti hoping I will have a great time. It’s very important to keep that love, that passion, that honesty alive.
Have you ever held back in a review because you didn’t want to hurt a filmmaker’s feelings?
Just once. It was for Jab Tak Hai Jaan and Yashji had just passed, and I just loved Yashji. I loved his movies, my mother wrote Chandni for him, I had known him forever. He had even come to my wedding. He was this really sweet, affectionate person... and I thought the film was very problematic but I just couldn’t be critical. I was too weighed down by how sad I was. It was so emotional for me and I did not do the best job of reviewing it. I should have ideally just avoided reviewing it altogether.
Have you ever reviewed any of your husband Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s films, before or after marriage?
No. I wrote about 1942: A Love Story, but not as a reviewer—I did an interview and wrote about the costumes, music etc. That was before marriage. After we got married, it was just a conflict of interest. And you should always steer clear of that. Because you become so close to the films that you can’t ever really have an opinion.
Bu hikaye Hi!BLITZ dergisinin August 2016 sayısından alınmıştır.
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Bu hikaye Hi!BLITZ dergisinin August 2016 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
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