A crime is a crime is a crime. Morality aside, filmmaker Dibakar Banerjee, of Khosla ka Ghosla fame, journeys into the mind of a criminal and finds otherwise. In his second film, Oye Lucky, Lucky Oye, due to release on November 21, he directs Abhay Deol as a talented thief with a voracious hunger for fame. And at his versatile best will be actor Paresh Rawal in a triple role. Ask Banerjee whether he is troubled by any financial uncertainties in the industry, and he says this might prove to be just the right time for small, alternative films like his to make the cut.
You don’t seem very given to the idea of bragging about your films for promotion. Does “selling” your film come easily to you?
Since I’ve had a background in advertising and because I have lived through the torture of looking for a producer for my first film, I know the whole process of marketing. But am I the sort of person to sell a film in the real sense? No, I’m not.
Both your films have a middle-class, urbane and a earthy feel to them. But you say Oye Lucky... isn’t very much like Khosla ka Ghosla?
In Khosla ka Ghosla, we come in touch with crime from our point of view. The criminal life is shown just for a few minutes. Oye Lucky... portrays the other side of middle class, it is crime viewed from the criminal’s point of view. It’s about how the protagonist sees the world and his relationship with society. There are so many like him who exist around us, outside of the ones who are jailed. People are the same; they grow up in the same environment but end up taking different paths to different ends.
Lucky’s character, in fact, has a paradoxical urge — while he should be secretive about his profession, he wants people to know what a talented thief he is. This hunger for fame and what he does for a living are at odds, but I found this contrast interesting. It also reflects the commoditisation of crime today. It’s almost like the way we consume chips or cola.
Did you find studying a criminal’s mind daunting at any point?
Not at all. There are actually few differences between those who commit a crime and those who don’t. I hung out with cops and criminals, sang ghazals with them and found that even criminals are very much like us. But an interesting difference that I felt was in their sense of ownership — there isn’t any. They can willingly part with anything if someone they like would want to have it. They also have no concept of privacy. They don’t have any moment to themselves but personal space is never an issue.
On the other hand, many criminals are complete puritans. Scratch the surface and you find downright prudes. But one can’t get into the morality of the issue here. I just find it funny in a satirical way.
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Do you see yourself doing a star-studded, mega-budget film?
The fact of the matter is that not many actors can pull off subjects which are unusual. As long as I continue to make films closer to identification, I need actors who will willingly submit to my demands of authenticity. If I cast a star in the normal role of a cop, it won’t look the way I want it too. If I work with big stars, at some point I’ll have to humbly shut up.
You are working on a political thriller next?
Yes. I’m angry at the way our society is turning out. There is no room for dissent. Whether you are right or wrong you will be shouted down and out, given subtle death threats. There isn’t any room for nurturing alternatives of thought and action. That is the purpose of the film.
Do you think the financial gloom will affect the outcome of your film?
There will perhaps be a sobering effect on mega-budget films, but that doesn’t bother me. It’s probably a good time for directors like me who make small films. You and I must know how many good films simply don’t see the light of day even today because there’s constant fear of being alienated in this big industry. Distributors and producers are usually eager to say alternatives don’t score even if a big budget tanks. People only get to read about how a big film has broken records but not the other side of the story. But the thought that big films don’t always work has, of late, started creeping in in the industry.
What makes you a success in a place where you say alternatives are shouted down?
UTV did a commendable job of marketing Khosla ka Ghosla. It was made with little money but they raked in a lot by marketing. The only success formula I have is to make a film that I feel close to personally and to connect with audiences. How do I connect? By being myself. Also, it’s a good idea to say what I feel — through my films — in less than two hours and not bore audiences.