Over the years, James Gunn has made a name for himself by creating a superhero universe. The American filmmaker admits that the larger-than-life canvas of Indian films has played a huge role in his journey as a storyteller. 

Gunn, who is credited with bringing together the Guardians Of The Galaxy franchise and taking it to new heights, tells us, “Indian films, in particular, have been a big influence on me, which reflects in the Guardians franchise. I have always been attracted to Indian films and Asian cinema more than I am attracted to European or American cinema.” 

The 56-year-old continues, “The boundaries are much broader (in Indian projects) than in American projects, which are more confined. A lot of the time, you are only allowed to have one genre, like this movie must be a comedy only or an action film, etc. That’s not true for Indian films.”

Gunn, who’s now working on Superman: Legacy, admits to having grown up watching Indian projects. “Indian films allow the full human experience in one movie where we are able to experience a comedy with drama, action, dancing and music. And I have put all of these things in the Guardians films, [albeit] through a Western lens. I have grown up watching those types of films from India, Korea, Japan and other places. In fact, Hong Kong’s style of filmmaking has also influenced my style,” says the director, who recently wrapped up the popular franchise with Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. 

Gunn’s tryst with filmmaking started with an eight-millimetre camera when he was 12, and he started his career in bigger films by writing scripts for Scooby-Doo movies, Dawn Of The Dead (2004) and more. 

Opening up about his journey so far, he says, “I was raised in a rural part of Missouri and [as a kid] felt like an outcast, an odd ball. Now, I make movies about oddballs such as the Guardians.”

He ends on a philosophical note: “It’s funny how often life imitates art, and art imitates life. But over the years, the Guardians and everyone involved [in it] have become a family. It has been an experience where you only have the best parts to take away.”