Shekhar Kapur Interview

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Shekhar Kapur at Taj Bengal on Wednesday. Picture by Rashbehari Das

I am a sucker for adventure — that’s how I have lived my life,” smiled Shekhar Kapur, looking down at a platter of fruit, focusing all his attention on forking a slice of kiwi and carefully putting it into his mouth. The 63-year-old Kapur — India’s most famous face in Hollywood (Freida Pinto and the Slumdog gang come a distant second) — has been lying low on the film front for a while after a couple of his high-profile projects have failed to take off. But that doesn’t mean that the director of Bandit Queen and the Oscar-nominated Elizabeth doesn’t have his hands full — a regularly updated blog, shooting an ad film, an art installation and now a stint as judge on a television reality show is keeping Kapur busy. In town for the city auditions of Colors’s India’s Got Talent, the man who writes on his blog “I exist because you imagine I do” spoke to t2…

How does it feel being in Calcutta on poll day?

Well, I arrived here at 1.30 last night and all that I have seen since then has been this hotel (Taj Bengal). It’s a nice five-star hotel, but it doesn’t really say much about the city, does it (smiles)? While I was on the plane yesterday, I realised that I am coming to Calcutta after 15 years. That’s an awfully long time! I still remember the last time I came here I stayed at The Oberoi Grand and they were making some sort of a subway opposite it. Travelling from the airport to the hotel last night, I realised that a lot of changes had taken place. Calcutta has always remained in my memories as a wonderful city. I want to base a script here sometime. But tell me something, is it always so deserted at 1.30 at night?

Two decades after Udaan, Khandaan and Mahanagar, what made you return to TV?

Simply because it gives me the opportunity to do something that I have never really done on television before. I have always tried to keep away from the tried and tested things in life. I love adventure, exploring the unknown, not going down the beaten path and I felt that this show was something that came pretty close to it. Also, the format of the show appealed to me immensely. Ever since I moved to Hollywood, I have actually lost touch with rural India. I know urban India, the elitist India, but after Bandit Queen, India’s Got Talent will give me a chance to connect with the talent that comes from our smaller towns. I am really excited to tap into the India I don’t know — its culture, its talent, its people and its ethos.

Have you followed the international formats of the show, including the British version that has recently been in the news?

I have watched a couple of episodes but I haven’t really followed the show. I love the fact that the show brings together people whose lives haven’t really gone in the direction that they would have liked it to and gives them the chance to go up there and discover and display their talents. It doesn’t matter if they fail because without failure there is no creativity. People who are down and out come from nowhere and put themselves out there for the world to judge, applaud and criticise them. I think it’s wonderful.

Reality shows are a dime a dozen on Indian television nowadays. What’s your take on them?

We have to accept the fact that reality shows are a part of our daily viewing habit and subsequently a part of our lives. I really don’t want to pass judgement on them, but I wish I could do something like that… just take a couple of performers, put them on stage and that’s it. You don’t have to sit down like me and break your head trying to write a script. Not that I am saying that reality shows don’t have a script… some of them do. But I think what works for reality shows worldwide is the unpredictability factor. Whether it’s the performances, the judge’s reactions, the audience’s take… we really don’t know what’s going to happen next. It’s all very unpredictable. But then again, I don’t think I would have really given my nod to a regular song and dance reality show because I have no interest in sitting through performances put up by celebrity couples! I am more interested in the common man and India’s Got Talent promises me that.

This being your first shot at reality show judging, how are you planning to approach the process?

Well, I am not going to be judging myself as a judge before I actually get down to the process. I have decided to approach the process with an open mind, devoid of any preconceived prejudices. I am in good company — there is Kirron (Kher) whom I have known for a very long time but haven’t had the opportunity to work with and there is Sonali (Bendre) who I really don’t know at all, but am hoping to bond during the show. I am confident that each of us will bring something of his or her own to the judging table. I, for one, know that I am going to judge the show pretty emotionally.

Calcutta is the chosen venue for kicking off the auditions. What are your expectations from the city?

Oh, I am expecting Calcutta to blow my mind! I have huge expectations from the talent here.

You have made a number of international film announcements in the past few years, but nothing has really taken off till now…

I probably speak too much and too early and I only have myself to blame for that. See, a lot of factors determine the materialisation of a particular project. The actors have to be signed on, their dates worked on, the financiers have to come on board, the locations have to be fixed… all that takes a lot of time. There are a few scripts that I am writing and some films that I have signed, but I can’t speak about any because they are all governed by non-disclosure agreements.

But if I am not directing a film at this point of time, it doesn’t mean that I am not busy. I realised very early on in my life — when I was 23 — that I couldn’t see my life as a career. When I was making films, I was happy with that. Today, I am very happy with the time I have spent on my art installation, something that is going to be placed alongside a (Salvador) Dali and a (Pablo) Picasso. Then there is my blog (http://www.shekharkapur.com) on which anyone can write to me and I will reply. I am happy with the way I am leading my life now.

There was also talk of you directing the sequel to Mr India…

Anil’s (Kapoor) gone… he’s gone to Hollywood (smiles). So how will the film happen now?

These are exciting times for the Hindi film industry. Do you see yourself plunging headlong into it one more time?

The industry is going through a good phase… there are some really exciting filmmakers now. There is Sudhir Mishra, there is Anurag Kashyap who I think is a huge talent. Then there are the guys who made A Wednesday (Neeraj Pandey) and Mumbai Meri Jaan (Nishikant Kamath). I think Farhan Akhtar is a very interesting filmmaker. As for me, it doesn’t really matter whether I make films here or anywhere else. At the end of the day, what matters is making a good film.

What’s your take on Slumdog Millionaire?

I quite liked it… it was a good film. I think it deserved its eight Oscars. In comparison to the kind of films it was up against at the Oscars, it was a good film.

Are you familiar with the work of contemporary Bengali filmmakers?

Oh yes! I have watched all of Rituparno Ghosh’s and Buddhadeb’s (Dasgupta) films and have liked them. I haven’t watched a commercial Bengali film yet, but would like to sometime.