"There are two types of filmmakers: those who lead and those who follow. Followers always find success but as someone who walks his own path you might not always hit success. And I’m okay with that,” says adman turned writer-director Rensil D’Silva. The maverick filmmaker prefers being a lone ranger than being part of the herd that adheres to formulaic films just to set the cash registers ringing.
Rensil, who debuted with the offbeat Kurbaan in 2008, is a tad anxious as his next film Ungli gears up for release. Incidentally, Ungli, a Dharma Production film, has been delayed a number of times. The film’s shooting was complete in November 2012 and it was scheduled to release in 2013. However after much hold-up, the film is finally releasing on December 5, 2014. “It’s frustrating for any director who has to wait this long for his film to release. First music duo Salim-Sulaiman left the project. Then Sanjay Dutt was jailed during the shooting of the film. The film also went through a re-edit. If this film gets delayed again then I guess I’ll jump off the window!”
Rensil refuses to reveal the context of the title Ungli because he believes the metaphoric visuals on screen will explain it all. It’s believed the film is about a gang of friends, who turn vigilantes and use the media to take on the corrupt system. “We have the greatest tool in our hands which we don’t use – the camera in our phones. Every time someone takes a bribe from you, you just have to record the act and upload it on the net,” he says hinting at the click of a ‘finger’. “Ungli is socially relevant, entertaining and makes the right noises.” The film stars Emraan Hashmi, Sanjay Dutt, Randeep Hooda, Kangana Ranaut and Neil Bhoopalam among others. Emraan in a Dharma film seems an interesting proposition. “It was Karan Johar’s idea to rope in the actor for the film. Emraan’s an intelligent actor. He’s far removed from his screen image. He’s experimental. And he doesn’t even watch Hindi films.”
Rensil fondly remembers the time when Sanjay Dutt was finalised for the role. “After Kurbaan released, the first person to call me was Sanjay. He said he loved the film and that it was shot like a Hollywood film. He even said that he’d definitely do my next. When I went to narrate Ungli, he refused to sit through the narration. He simply said he’d honour the promise he’d earlier given me.”
On the set of Kurbaan with Kareena Kapoor Khan and Saif Ali Khan
While signing Dutt, Rensil didn’t foresee the problems his film would face. The Supreme Court on March 21 upheld Dutt’s conviction in the 1993 bomb blasts case and sentenced him to five years imprisonment. The 50-plus actor is currently in Pune’s Yerwada jail serving the pending three-and-half-year term. “Sanjay Dutt going to jail in the midst of the shooting was stressful. It was mentally difficult for all of us too. We stopped shooting for a while because we knew he wasn’t in the right state of mind.” He values his team for the support they lent. “There was an important confrontational scene to be shot between Emraan Hashmi and Sanjay. It’s the highlight of the film. Emraan assured me that he’d come along to shoot whenever Sanjay was ready to do it.” Somehow, they completed the film without chopping Sanjay’s scenes in it.
Rensil holds his debut Kurbaan, a Saif Ali Khan-Kareena Kapoor starrer, which dealt with terrorism, close to his heart even though he admits, “We’re not ready for dark cinema. Serious films, which tackle grim subjects, work only with a certain section of an audience. The majority of audiences do not go to the movies for intellectual stimulation. They pay money to forget their problems and have a good time.” He explains further, “Indians want happy endings because life is generally tough. But if the emotional journey of a character ends in tragedy then so be it. How would we ever have a Deewaar (Amitabh Bachchan classic, 1975) otherwise?”
Rensil, who wrote the path-breaking Aks and Rang De Basanti says, “After watching Aks, people asked how Mr Bachchan could rape his own wife? I told them to make their happy films and let me make my cinema. I can’t adhere to a formula. We’ll never move forward if you are scared about trying new things.” Considering his love for serious cinema, would he ever think of making a romcom? “I’m not a fan of romcoms. They have no subject. It’s just about two people falling in love. Unless they’re extremely well-written like Jab We Met or Notting Hill. Romcoms are just about dressing the actors well and shooting them in good locations. It’s like vanilla; it can never go wrong as a flavour.” But he cautions, “Many filmmakers watch movies so that they can later sit in a coffee shop and rip it apart. I’m not interested in bringing someone else down. We should have an open mind. It’s a matter of individual choice. But I don’t like watching films that leave me feeling cheated. Like films which follow the formula just to make money.”
Rensil also wrote the screenplay for Anil Kapoor’s Indian adaptation of the American TV show 24, which is said to have reinvented Indian television. But a few naysayers claimed that the thriller was a frame by frame lift from the original American show. “It’s a baseless allegation. People should revisit the US show. The plot is different. We rewrote the content. The show got a whole new audience back to TV – and also got us sponsors,” he smiles. The series has started its pre-production for the next season in 2015.
Rensil has also authored a book recently titled, Kohinoor Express. Apparently, the book, a sort of a historical thriller, is set in the 1800s. It follows the trail of the greatest diamond Kohinoor after it was taken from ruler Ranjit Singh by the British (after the last Sikh War) and handed over to Queen Victoria. It’s a story of unlikely heroes who tried to stop the heirloom from falling into the hands of the British. The multi-faceted Rensil is also collaborating with noted filmmaker Mani Ratnam for a film. “After Rang De Basanti, I got a call from Mani sir. I almost fell off the chair,” he laughs. The South Indian director asked him to write his next film. Unfortunately, the film didn’t take off but both of them started working on another project, which Rensil wished to direct and Mani agreed to let him. “The film is a biopic about a Punjabi immigrant living in Bradford. He faces racial abuse all his life but grows into a business tycoon and one day sells off his company for 85 million pounds.” Well, Rensil D’Silva surely has his ‘ungli’ in many pies.