Filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri was in Hyderabad twice last week, to screen his film Buddha in a Traffic Jam , first to students of NALSAR and then at Osmania University. He has already screened the film at Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, and many other institutes including the IITs. He didn’t think he would be taking this route to create interest in the film. Vivek Agnihotri shrugs, “When you don’t have money for marketing, you explore alternate ways. I can write a book on the journey of this film as a strange case study of marketing without actually doing marketing.”
Students are the film’s primary audience as the film explores the link between students, naxals, politics and NGOs. The protagonist, Vikram, played by Arunoday Singh, plays a character inspired by Vivek Agnihotri himself. “Vikram is me,” says Vivek.
Autobiographical
Vivek was a restless student in Bhopal and later at JNU. “I was one of those students that would protest and think the unrest will help create a revolution. Our parents didn’t teach us all that. Where did we learn from? When I was studying in JNU, I realised how students and professors address each other as comrades. The extreme left leanings still exist,” he says. Vivek is quick to state that the film is not pro right wing either.
With an ensemble cast that includes Arunoday Singh, Anupam Kher, Pallavi Joshi, Mahi Gill and Anchal Dwivedi, the film is set in a business school. Eighty per cent of the film was shot at Indian School of Business (ISB), Hyderabad, and the cast and crew stayed at the campus.
Vivek was delivering a lecture at ISB and students suggested he make a 10-minute short film, which later developed into a full-fledged feature. They went about collecting funds and Suresh Chukkapalli came forward to help produce it. “When I told him the film will explore the NGO-naxal-academia nexus, he asked me if I had life insurance,” guffaws Vivek. But he credits Chukkapalli for never interfering in the filmmaking process.
Anupam Kher and Arunoday Singh in a still from Buddha in a Traffic Jam
The film was screened at Mumbai International Film Festival and Vivek hoped he could release it soon. Those who promised to help with distribution backed out, citing the controversial subject. “I consider the film bold, not controversial,” insists the director.
While researching, Vivek listened in to conversations of students at ISB. The dialogues rose from those observations. “It is a disturbing film, one that is political without a politician being shown. Be it at JNU or any institute, students want India to shine. They want the country to get rid of mediocrity and hypocrisy. The story shows how naxals take advantage of rebellious students, show them utopian dream and make them intellectual terrorists,” says Vivek.
Buddha in a Traffic Jam stands as a metaphor to the commotion that surrounds these students. The film was screened outside JNU to a rousing reception and Vivek’s speech went viral on social media.
“I was scared, not knowing if students would accept it. About 4500 students turned up, sat on floors, perched on walls and trees to watch,” he recalls.
The film is gearing up for release on May 13 after Rajshri Productions stepped in to help Vivek Agnihotri.
Pallavi Joshi and Arunoday Singh in a still from Buddha in a Traffic Jam
Erotica to political
Before we wind up, one cannot but ask him about his previous film, Hate Story . How did he switch from an erotica that played to the gallery to make a political film that has won laurels at film festivals? Vivek laughs heartily and explains his journey from advertising to mainstream cinema. He first wanted to make a film on the Bofors issue, which didn’t take off, then he made Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal . Later, when Vikram Bhatt asked him to direct Hate Story , he was reluctant. “A writer then told me that everyone these days wants to make an erotica. If you look closely it’s a revenge story. Now I am at a place where I want to make only films I believe in.”
