Anubhav Sinha: A film’s budget, data is not the audience’s business
Filmmaker Anubhav Sinha feels the entertainment industry has begun to place more importance on the business of films rather than actually watching them.
“The numbers are about what budget films are made on and the business they do. Dono ankdey jhoote hain! In the industry, we don’t talk about it as it is too convoluted, but a lot of it isn’t true,” says the director, adding, “Honestly, that is not the audience’s business; it should be whether they liked the movie or not. Do we ask a biscuit company about their ROI (return on investment) before consuming it?”
The filmmaker adds, “People may say a film is bad, but the one who saw it may have liked it! We are discussing too much, and people talk and enjoy discussing failures. As humans, we like celebrating ruins and talking about them.”
The filmmaker, who recently wrapped up a courtroom drama with actor Taapsee Pannu, admits to facing significant challenges in the industry, something he describes as very difficult. “Logon ke ghar bik jaate hain. Today, people call Ra.One (2011) a cult film, but it did not do well. After that I had a very tough three or four years with no work,” the 60-year-old says.
Anubhav goes on to tell us that he started a sort of yatra (Chal Picture Chalein) across cities including Lucknow, Delhi and Jaipur after he felt the need to “reinvent and update” himself. What he found was a gap between filmmakers’ opinions and the audience’s expectations.
“Aisa nahin hai ki audience theatre nahin ja rahi hai. The audience is willing to go to theatres, but they’re particular about what they choose to watch. If they feel a film is worth spending money and time on, they do watch it,” he shares, adding, “Most makers are immigrants in Mumbai, uprooted from our hometowns. So, we aren’t witnessing the changes happening elsewhere in the country.”
