Having directed acclaimed Indian classics akin to Masoom, Bandit Queen and Mr India, filmmaker Shekhar Kapur, has additionally made his presence felt internationally with the Oscar-nominated Elizabeth (1998).
Which is why his response to India lifting two Oscars this yr turns into all of the extra necessary. “I was waiting for this! After Elizabeth which was nominated in seven categories at the Oscars, I was waiting for other filmmakers to take it up, and thank God for that. It’s been years. And you shouldn’t discount the fact that All That Breathes from India didn’t win- a nomination is as good as a win. It’s a beautiful film. So two heartfelt documentaries from India, and a feature film like RRR that has kind of taken the West by storm. It won Best Original song. It was a hardcore Indian, melodramatic celebration of what we do best,” says a contented Kapur.
He additionally stresses upon the truth that it was crucial for the Oscars to offer in to widespread demand too. “It cannot just remain art cinema, then it will fall by the wayside. Rajamouli won in other awards, over directors like Steven Spielberg. Internationally they have opened their arms,” provides the director, whose movie What’s Love Got To Do With It? is ready for a launch in India, starring Emma Thompson and Shabana Azmi.
Do we look forward to worldwide validation earlier than recognising our personal expertise again house? Do awards just like the Oscars wake us as much as the truth that we have now such nice content material being made?
Kapur agrees, “I think we do, and we shouldn’t. I remember, when Elizabeth was nominated for so many Oscars, everybody said ‘wow look at this director’ I said ‘wait a minute, I am the same guy who made Bandit Queen, Masoom, Mr India. Why am I suddenly this amazing director because the West has come up and said he is amazing?’ I have constantly said this, that we don’t need validation. It’s great to get an Oscar, suddenly the world knows about you, you get opportunities to work internationally. Buit I don’t think we need validation, and nobody has proven it better than Rajamouli. He has proved it so well through such an indian way of making movies, and made it so celebratory that the whole of West is saying ‘look at this’.”
Kapur additionally feels that validation usually leaves you as an artist “trying to be who you are not.”
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‘SATISH WAS A BRILLIANT MATHEMATICIAN’
My relationship with Satish Kaushik… as a result of he was from National School of Drama, and since he was an incredible actor, he understood appearing. People used to say ‘Oh My God, if Shekhar Kapur is on a honeymoon, Satish will go with him’! That’s how folks noticed us. He used to dwell in my home for a while, we lived collectively. His best asset was his deep understanding of individuals, and you would see that in his performances. It got here from staying at NSD, the place Ebrahim Alkazi was the trainer that point. He skilled them to have a look at the world and perceive. Nobody is aware of that Satish was an excellent mathematician as effectively. His dying us such a loss, we have now misplaced anyone who was but to discover his potential, there was a lot extra.
Source web site: www.hindustantimes.com
