At a time when most filmmakers harp on the fact that Bollywood is suffering from a dearth of "good scripts", critically acclaimed director Nishikant Kamat says it's the studios which are sometimes apprehensive about investing in fresh concepts. Thus, remakes are often bankable.
Kamat has helmed the Hindi remake of southern film "Drishyam" and has directed movies like "Mumbai Meri Jaan" and "Force" in Hindi and the Marathi superhit "Lai Bhaari".
He says he decided to remake the Malayalam "Drishyam" for Hindi speaking audiences only to take the concept pan-India - and not because there's a drought of story lines.
"There is nothing such as dearth of good scripts in Bollywood. Sometimes studios are not ready to put money on a script which they don't understand. Whereas in a remake, you have a reference with which you can tell them (the studios) that something like this will be the result.
"Studios are happy with remakes, and that's why remakes are made more easily," Kamat told IANS here.
Having dabbled in directing a movie in Tamil and Marathi as well, Kamat says the use of Hindi is a "big plus point for Bollywood".
"People speak Hindi pan-India. So, regional cinema gets restricted to limited audience in that way. A Hindi film will always have a larger market. I've made a Marathi film, a Tamil film also....then I know I'm region specific. I'm making a different form of cinema that time. But when it comes to Bollywood, it is seen all over," he added.
"Drishyam", which stars Ajay Devgn, Tabu and Shriya Saran, released in over 2,500 screen across India on Friday.
"Regional films get restricted to three-four states. When you make it in Hindi, it goes to 20-22 states. The film has such a good story that needs to be told. I took pride in making 'Drishyam' and what audience can expect is a fantastic thriller...Maybe 'Drishyam' will help us to open up a new genre of filmmaking," he said.
While the buzz among trade gurus is that "Drishyam" will do well at the box office, that's not Kamat's "barometer" of success.
"Monetary things have never mattered to me. I have not thought how much collection my films will make while making them, but I've always felt the need to make a credible film. I've always worried about people's appreciation."
That is also why he believes in trying new genres every time.
"My biggest fear has been boredom. I get bored of one type of a film very fast. If you see all my films, whether its 'Mumbai Meri Jaan' about social awareness, hardcore police-based film like 'Force', 'Rowdy Rathore' type film 'Lai Bhaari' or a suspense thriller like 'Drishyam', they all have been of different genres.
"I do this because then there is a challenge and you know that you are doing something which you have not done in the past," he said.
His future projects will also be as different as chalk and cheese.
"My next film is 'Rocky Handsome'. It has very oriental action. People will see Korean action style in it. Its styling is like of Korean cinema though it is a Hindi film. Then I'm doing 'Madari' with Irrfan Khan. That is almost a songless film. It is based on social issues and is about a common man and pure human drama," Kamat said.
(Sandeep Sharma can be contacted at sandeep.s@ians.in)
