CHASING DREAMS (Interview)

14 January 2005

‘People always dream,’ filmmaker Buddhadeb Dasgupta whose latest film Swapner Din was screened at the Toronto Film Festival. ‘I can’t think of a person who can’t dream, if you don’t dream at least you have nightmares,’ he tells V RADHIKA

He has a passion for poetry, an ardour for making films and a love for economics. At 16, Buddhadeb Dasgupta published his first book of poems, while in his 20s he taught economics at Calcutta University in India and when he had to choose between a career in academics or films, he chose the latter. The fascination with camera however has not dimmed his love for poetry or economics. In fact, all these identities coalesce and infuse his work. The poet in him surfaces in his films which have almost a lyrical quality to them. And the ‘economist’ Dasgupta believes that at the end of the day a film has to be commercially viable. And guided by an artist’s indomitable urge for unfettered freedom, he emphasizes he would bear no interference from the producer in his work.

Dasgupta’s films, that are often about voyages (physical and metaphorical), have circuited festivals world over winning over audiences and garnering awards. He has won the national award for best film in India four times in a row, a feat paralleled only by Satyajit Ray. His Uttara (The Wrestlers) won the prize for best director at the Venice Film Festival in 2000. His films have been a popular draw at the Toronto International Film Festival. He made a global distribution breakthrough with his Mondo Meyer Upakhyan (A Tale of a Naughty Girl) and again this year for the world premiere of his latest film Swapner Din (Chased by Dreams).

This was his third film to be screened at the ‘Master’ section of Toronto festival. His other films include Duratwa, Grihajuddha, Andhi Gali, Phera, Bagh Bahadur, Tahader Katha, Charachar and Lal Darja. His documentaries have been equally appreciated. Excerpts from an interview with the filmmaker.

What is your latest film about?

This film revolves around the dreams of three people. In India we have people like them, but they just hide their dreams. All of them think of something, of going somewhere, they are not happy with wherever they are or whatever they are. Like the film’s main character who is a projectionist, his job is to go on screening films on a projector, he has fallen in love with one of those girls in the film. He has never seen her but thinks of meeting her one day and in this process of journey, he thinks he has seen this girl, there is an illusion. The other character, driver Chapal wants to go to Dubai to make his life, and the girl Amina who came to India with her husband and after losing her husband in riots, she wants to go back. She is pregnant and wants to give her child proper papers so that the baby has his/her identity. They meet by chance and just start getting involved in a situation and from that point we are chasing their dreams.

What is the significance of dreams and journeys in your films?

People always dream. Some dream of doing well in life, others want to go somewhere, some dream of a life partner, we always think that there is someone and we have to find them. There are different kinds of dreams, I just can’t think of a person who can’t dream, if you don’t dream at least you have nightmares.

You are a writer and poet. How does that influence you as a filmmaker?

I have been writing poetry for 30 years. I have 10 collections of poetry and am greatly influenced by poetry. When you read poetry some images stay with you, they come from reality but have a different meaning and weight. I like it also, I have been asked why have poetry in film, it is a process that has got into my system, it just seeps in when I write my script, compose a shot, slip to my lens. Whenever I compose, I write, I always think that poetry has helped me a lot, but at the same time film is a film. Both identities influence each other. I know how deeply I am grateful to poetry and I am also indebted to cinema when I write my poetry.

In your films individuals and their experiences always synthesise with larger socio-political context. Is it a conscious effort?

Yes, because whatever happens in your life is not exclusive to you because other lives are also connected with yours. They also get influenced and affected, your life is a small part of collective life. So when we are talking about one person we are not looking at just that, others are also interconnected. Whatever I felt in my life emotionally, intellectually I just comment on that through celluloid and through my words in poetry.

Your films focus on ordinary people. Is it a deliberate choice?

This common life is very closely connected with reality around you. You have seen this common man in my films, sometimes they behave very erratically, sometimes they like dreams, sometimes they do something which is baffling. But then the reality around us is very predictable, you know what is going to happen, but if you infuse an element of dream in it, an element of magic in it, the same thing becomes more interesting and that is why these characters are real and they are also not real. They live lives between real and unreal. That zone between real and unreal is very important because once you go out of that periphery of reality, then you know what is beyond that and realise that it is also a part of reality.

How did you shift from academics to filmmaking?

I can only tell you that by 16 I was known as a poet. My first collection came out when I was 16. At the same time at the back of my mind I was deeply in love with economics. Many people wonder how these two go together but I did not find any contradiction. Rather I am very grateful to economics, it has given me big strength and discipline. There is so much pressure that if you are not disciplined you lose yourself. Economics has given me that. At one point of time I did not know what to choose. In between I was thinking of packing my bags and going to Harvard when I was teaching. Because I was one of those ‘good students’... I hate that term. But then I decided no.

What do you think is the importance of film festivals?

When you write poetry, once you have written it, your work is over, whether someone buys it or not is not so much of a concern. But filmmaking is different. Being a filmmaker you want response, you want to see it reaching the audience. If you can’t sell in your own territory, you can send it out because there is a market. At the end of the day it is a product and you have to sell it. These festivals do help in a great way to make my film known to my audience, distributors, and exhibitors all over the world. I am very lucky that from the very first film I have a steady market and that has given me great strength and distributors/exhibitors respect me.

How important is it for a film to be commercially viable?

We have to admit that someone is investing money — and lots of it — in a film. So you can’t be cavalier and say I just want to make a film and am not bothered about its financial performance. It can happen twice or three times and after that no one will give you money. You can’t make a film which will go over the head of the audience. Nor can you make a film where you will go on losing money. It has to be financially and commercially viable and then it depends what kind of cinema you want to make. The kind of cinema that makes box office success in India may not be my cup of tea but I have to have my success in my own way and on my own terms and conditions. As long as that happens I am fine. I love my freedom. I don’t want anyone to tell me anything. I have never accepted any position where I smelt something may go wrong somewhere. I want to spread wings freely.

What is your next film?

I have just started writing one script, it is about life seen through the eyes of two failures and their interpretation of failure and success.

How has the journey been so far?

Good, satisfying and at the same time frustrating. Frustrating because every time you make a film, you feel it could still have been better. The film you made there (points to his head) has not come on screen.

Does that happen with every film where you feel it could have been better?

Yes, but at same time I am happy that I suffer. The moment I start feeling happy and I start feeling I have become an achiever, that would be the end. I want to live with these sad moments because I know they push me to that zone of life where I can still create.

You have also made documentaries. And your film on famous Indian painter Manjit Bawa won an award.

I love to make documentaries and I do my own camera. Documentary filmmaking is just like poetry, no tension, nothing (smiles), I don’t even write a script, a few lines and then it grows. Mostly I make films on painters or paintings. Manjit waited for three years for me to make the film. I just love it.