Ketan Mehta, master of the biopic genre, maker of films such as Sardar, Mangal Pandey: The Rising and the most recent the Raja Ravi Varma biopic, Rang Rasiya , is ready with yet another — Manjhi The Mountain Man , which releases August 21. Arguing the case for films that are made with passion and whose success cannot be measured in terms of money, he speaks of how the Indian youth need positive icons.
He is already prepping for his next film, a biopic, yet again, on the Rani of Jhansi, a film that will see Kangana Ranaut in the lead and will take at least two years to make, he says.
Excerpts from an interview when he was in Bengaluru to promote his latest venture:
What makes for a good biopic? What elements work? How much fiction is needed to make the real appealing?
A biopic is not just a biopic for me. Every man stands for some idea which he represents. So in this case, it is a story of great passion. Of great will. Making the impossible, possible. I think it is the greatest love story and a story of triumph of the human will. One man against a mountain for 22 years and breaking it down to carve out a path. Such an incredible story to tell. The moment I read about him when he died in 2007 I realised it was such an inspiring story that it had to be made into a film. Because film is the most powerful medium. And what does India need at this point of time? The Indian youth is looking for positive icons. Positive energy. It is looking for inspiration. It is looking for an attitude that says never say die. So all this combined together was great material for a film.
When I went and saw the location — the rocky mountain and the path that he had carved out, I couldn’t even believe that somebody could even think of doing such a thing. I was awestruck thinking this was the craziest man ever born. And I realised he didn’t seek anything in return. The path was being made so that nobody else would suffer his pain. Then it was truly inspiring.
You say youth need such messages. But do you believe cinema can be such a powerful medium to deliver a message to people? At the end of day, what becomes a hit and makes money are no-brainer films....
All my life I have tried to break down this mountain that says only nonsense prevails, only nonsense succeeds. I believe that it is still possible to make sense and reach out to people. The reverse question is money the only important thing to you? For a filmmaker who is spending two or two-and-a-half years of his life on a film, whether your life is important, whether you need to grow as a filmmaker, whether it has inspired you enough to do that film, is as important to me as money.
Isn't it difficult to invest so much of your life into one project when films come out a dime a dozen? So much research, passion, so much work and time going into one film...
Don't make it sound like it is a tedious affair! That is the only thing I know, that is the only thing I am really passionate about.
And filmmaking is truly fascinating. There are rewards which can’t necessarily be measured only in money.
You're from the golden era of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) when you all came out with strong ideals. What do you say of the state that your alma mater is in right now?
I think it reflects the state of the nation. The nation is also going through the same kind of polarisation. And the same kind of cynicism. That is unfortunate. I hope that sense prevails.
In terms of FTII's leadership...
India claims to have the largest film industry in the world. There are stalwarts in the industry all over India who have done fascinating work and who can provide the necessary leadership to a national institute like that which has contributed so much to the nation.
In your work and whenever you speak, you have always expressed deep concern over growing intolerance, censorship, and clamping down of spirit. What is the kind of message something like the porn ban is sending out?
I think somewhere freedom is an essential part of being human in this century. The more you clamp down, the more resistance you breed. Any kind of regressive clamping down or persecution of people in the long run is not going to be feasible.
