EXCLUSIVE Interview! Vishal Bhardwaj on cinema and concept of hero changing | Not Just Bollywood

In a candid chat with Firstpost, filmmaker Vishal Bhardwaj on discussing about cinema changing brings out the topic of Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Animal film and how we still have an audience who enjoys movies which are only about glorifying heroes. Bhardwaj mentioned as part of the conversation on the concept of hero changing, “I enjoyed and hated  Ranbir Kapoor and Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Animal at the same time.”  He also spoke about ‘MAMI Select: Filmed on iPhone’ and how technology shouldn’t be misused.

Last year, MAMI Mumbai Film Festival introduced ‘MAMI Select: Filmed on iPhone’, allowing emerging filmmakers to redefine cinematic norms. Shot on an iPhone 15 Pro Max and edited on a MacBook Pro, these five high-quality short films is being showcased in an exclusive preview on April 18, 2024.

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The five emerging filmmakers participating in the MAMI Select: Filmed on iPhone program symbolize the evolution of Indian cinema, daring to challenge conventional norms and pioneer new narrative approaches.

Vishal Bhardwaj, renowned for his award-winning short film ‘Fursat’ shot on iPhone in 2023, along with acclaimed writer, director, and producer Vikramaditya Motwane, and the stylistic filmmaker Rohan Sippy, have mentored Archana Atul Phadke, Faraz Ali, Prateek Vats, Saumyananda Sahi, and Saurav Rai. Under the expert guidance of these three pillars of Indian cinema, the young filmmakers were urged to push creative boundaries, crafting compelling narratives in a fresh cinematic format.

Edited excerpts from the interview:

What do you have to say about the whole idea of movies shot on iPhones. What do you have to say about the whole landscape of cinema changing?

I shot a film on iPhone, last year called Fursat. I realised the power of iPhone at that time. It liberates you as a filmmaker, it gives you there’s so much flexibility. And as far as, you know, the changing format, the viewing habits are changing. When you see reels, actually you get, hooked on to that. You get glued to the reels once you start watching them. So, actually, our viewing habits of a dramatic content is changing very rapidly, and it’s changing in every six months.

Mobile phones empowers the filmmakers.  You know, earlier in our times, if I had wanted to make a short film, I had to approach a studio. I remember doing that for Zee TV for a program called Gubbare, where I just wanted to test myself as director whether, I wanted to learn, that, what happens on the set. So I did those two short films for Zee. It was a whole big paraphernalia to hire the equipment the technicians and again you needed a platform to showcase that as well. Now, you know, you can have your own YouTube channel. You can show it on Instagram, and you don’t have to hire anyone. You don’t even need an assistant director to help you. You can shoot it yourself. You can edit it yourself and then you an act in it also. You just need to set the mode on your mobile phone. So that’s why I’m saying, so only thing which is not available is the content. And now the emergence of AI will fill that gap as well. But, the content is the only thing you have to create. So your creativity is unlimited.

Mobile phone is an equipment that everybody has. Don’t you think easy availability of technology can be misused?

Being destructive is a good thing. But if technology is used in the wrong way, it can send a wrong message. You know, if there is, in a good, there is bad, there is night, there is day, then there is moon, then there is sun. So everything has its paradox. So I don’t think that, anything which is so liberating and so rewarding will not have, negative shapes or negative possibilities.

With cinema viewing changing, audiences have also changed. There is no glorifying of the hero? What do you have to say about that?

No. I think the recent hit film is _Animal_  is all what you are saying is all there. And we have a ““typical hero” too. That’s one of the biggest, hit of all times. People still watch, still want that kind of movie. It’s a big surprise that there is a huge audience for that kind of films as well.

But at the same time, you see, a film like  _Laapata Ladies_  and _12th Fail_ . Vidhu Vinod Chopra at the age of 71, made the most beautiful film of his life. And with Vikram Massey, you really don’t need stars these days.

It’s like a master class that we’re having every day on cinema with the OTT coming in. What are your views on that?

What a phase we are we are entering into and it is so heart-warming. So I think the great stories are yet to come because the people are going for a film like  _Madgaon Express_ . They are going for, film, like, Laapata ladies and _12th Fail_ . And these are all theatrical releases. So I’m so hopeful and happy that this new phase of Indian cinema is starting again.

What do you have to say about  _Animal_ ?

I have still not made up my mind what to feel about that film. because I enjoyed it and at the same time I hated it.

What are your views on short films?

For me short stories and short films are the best format. You see Roald Dahl Roald and Ruskin Bond. You see any great writer for that matter. I love short stories. I love short films. For making a short film, most importantly you are not burdened by budget issues.