Flexcia Dsouza (BOMBAY TIMES; November 23, 2019)

Filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar, who participated in the Master’s Social Perspective at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa, also plans to take out time to visit his ancestral Lakshminarasimha Temple in Mardol. But, before taking off, he spoke to us about his Bollywood journey, casting age-appropriate actors and more. Excerpts:

Recently, there was a controversy over casting age-appropriate female leads in Saand Ki Aankh. Your films have always had very strong women characters. What is your take on this?
It depends entirely on the filmmaker and who he wants to cast. There have been so many instances when actors have played older characters. Rakhee- ji and Amitabh ji did that in Kabhie Kabhie, when they were at the peak of their careers. It differs from one filmmaker to another and is ultimately about every individual’s conviction.

How would you assess your journey in Bollywood?
I am not here to analyse what people think about my career. I am very happy that I have received National Awards and the Padma Shri, and my films have received critical acclaim and box office success. Even my actors have received National Awards for their performances. The industry and the audience have been very fair to me. And people want to know which issue will Madhur Bhandarkar touch upon in his next film. I don’t belong to any lobby and have had an independent journey. From Chandni Bar to Indu Sarkar, it has been a great experience.

What is your take on censorship of creative content in the country?
I am very happy that the censors have been liberal and moderate and their perspective has changed. Censor is a very strong pillar. A lot of things in today’s movies, which wouldn’t have been passed earlier, is now given a U/A certificate.

What’s been your best memory at IFFI?
We had a great masterclass where I could share my experiences. The students asked a lot of good questions. It was great connecting with the youth and upcoming filmmakers. I look forward to IFFI each year – to watch movies, attend masterclasses and interact with people. I have seen IFFI evolve over the last few years, and this has been a great year, too.