‘MAMI is not my inheritance’
Shyam Benegal, who has made way for Kiran Rao as the new Chairperson of MAMI, talks about the change in leadership and the future of Indian cinema.
He has spent the past six days watching film after film at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa but Shyam Benegal says that he will never tire of the experience. Mirror caught up with the 80-year-old at his Tardeo office on Tuesday.
Excerpts from the interview:
How was IFFI this year?
By and large, nice. Like always, it had six to eight good films. It could have been much better.
What was the problem?
IFFI is a well-funded festival. But a festival is as good as its organisers. Now, IFFI is run by the government. They have a lot of unutilised resources.
Please elaborate…
A government-run festival has people from varied backgrounds in executive positions. And just when they start understanding cinema, their term runs out. Therefore at MAMI (Mumbai Academy of Moving images) we give officials an extended term.
Were you happy with this year’s Mumbai Film Festival?
Paisa bahut kam tha. We had difficulty in finding sponsors after Reliance opted out. Perhaps, the brand did not get the mileage they expected. We had only one centre screening the films, in Andheri. It was well attended by members of the film fraternity. But where was the general public?
Why did you step down from the position of MAMI Chairperson?
Anupama Chopra (the new festival director) and Kiran Rao (the new Chairperson) showed immense enthusiasm in raising funds. They have more energy and better ideas. It was time that I got younger people on board. Stepping down was on my mind for six years. MAMI is not my inheritance; it belongs to all who love cinema.
Have you distanced yourself from MAMI?
No, I shall always remain involved with MAMI, but now I won’t be attending to the day-to-day decisions. My support for MAMI is irrevocable.
Did you recommend Kiran Rao and Anupama Chopra?
‘Recommend’ would be a wrong word. But yes, I did mention their names to the trustees. And they deserve it.
It’s been five years since you made a film (2009’s Well Done Abba was his last). What’s gone wrong?
Nothing has gone wrong. I will soon make a film. I decided to put my time and energy in to a TV show, Samvidhaan. It needed a lot of research and time. A show on the Indian Constitution was required.
Are you satisfied with the response it got?
Yes.
What’s your take on the films of today?
I think we are making some good cinema. Some of the recent content is amazing.
And do you see any equivalents of your frequent collaborators like (late) Smita Patil and Shabana Azmi?
Zaroor honge, bas unka bahar aana baki hai. I think Rajkummar Rao is an ocean of talent. I haven’t seen Alia Bhatt’s work but she seems impressive. I am also keen to catch up on Varun Dhawan’s work. I think Anushka has a sunshine-like smile. And I am impressed by the work of Rajkumar Hirani, Imtiaz Ali, Anurag Kashyap and Dibakar Banerjee.
He has spent the past six days watching film after film at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa but Shyam Benegal says that he will never tire of the experience. Mirror caught up with the 80-year-old at his Tardeo office on Tuesday.
Excerpts from the interview:
How was IFFI this year?
By and large, nice. Like always, it had six to eight good films. It could have been much better.
What was the problem?
IFFI is a well-funded festival. But a festival is as good as its organisers. Now, IFFI is run by the government. They have a lot of unutilised resources.
Please elaborate…
A government-run festival has people from varied backgrounds in executive positions. And just when they start understanding cinema, their term runs out. Therefore at MAMI (Mumbai Academy of Moving images) we give officials an extended term.
Were you happy with this year’s Mumbai Film Festival?
Paisa bahut kam tha. We had difficulty in finding sponsors after Reliance opted out. Perhaps, the brand did not get the mileage they expected. We had only one centre screening the films, in Andheri. It was well attended by members of the film fraternity. But where was the general public?
Why did you step down from the position of MAMI Chairperson?
Anupama Chopra (the new festival director) and Kiran Rao (the new Chairperson) showed immense enthusiasm in raising funds. They have more energy and better ideas. It was time that I got younger people on board. Stepping down was on my mind for six years. MAMI is not my inheritance; it belongs to all who love cinema.
Have you distanced yourself from MAMI?
No, I shall always remain involved with MAMI, but now I won’t be attending to the day-to-day decisions. My support for MAMI is irrevocable.
Did you recommend Kiran Rao and Anupama Chopra?
‘Recommend’ would be a wrong word. But yes, I did mention their names to the trustees. And they deserve it.
It’s been five years since you made a film (2009’s Well Done Abba was his last). What’s gone wrong?
Nothing has gone wrong. I will soon make a film. I decided to put my time and energy in to a TV show, Samvidhaan. It needed a lot of research and time. A show on the Indian Constitution was required.
Are you satisfied with the response it got?
Yes.
What’s your take on the films of today?
I think we are making some good cinema. Some of the recent content is amazing.
And do you see any equivalents of your frequent collaborators like (late) Smita Patil and Shabana Azmi?
Zaroor honge, bas unka bahar aana baki hai. I think Rajkummar Rao is an ocean of talent. I haven’t seen Alia Bhatt’s work but she seems impressive. I am also keen to catch up on Varun Dhawan’s work. I think Anushka has a sunshine-like smile. And I am impressed by the work of Rajkumar Hirani, Imtiaz Ali, Anurag Kashyap and Dibakar Banerjee.
