Firstpost
  • Home
  • Video Shows
    Vantage Firstpost America Firstpost Africa First Sports
  • World
    US News
  • Explainers
  • News
    India Opinion Cricket Tech Entertainment Sports Health Photostories
  • Asia Cup 2025
Apple Incorporated Modi ji Justin Trudeau Trending

Sections

  • Home
  • Live TV
  • Videos
  • Shows
  • World
  • India
  • Explainers
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • Cricket
  • Health
  • Tech/Auto
  • Entertainment
  • Web Stories
  • Business
  • Impact Shorts

Shows

  • Vantage
  • Firstpost America
  • Firstpost Africa
  • First Sports
  • Fast and Factual
  • Between The Lines
  • Flashback
  • Live TV

Events

  • Raisina Dialogue
  • Independence Day
  • Champions Trophy
  • Delhi Elections 2025
  • Budget 2025
  • US Elections 2024
  • Firstpost Defence Summit
Trending:
  • Nepal protests
  • Nepal Protests Live
  • Vice-presidential elections
  • iPhone 17
  • IND vs PAK cricket
  • Israel-Hamas war
fp-logo
October is a great example of Shoojit Sircar's versatility — the trappings of Bollywood are yet to corrupt him
Whatsapp Facebook Twitter
Whatsapp Facebook Twitter
Apple Incorporated Modi ji Justin Trudeau Trending

Sections

  • Home
  • Live TV
  • Videos
  • Shows
  • World
  • India
  • Explainers
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • Cricket
  • Health
  • Tech/Auto
  • Entertainment
  • Web Stories
  • Business
  • Impact Shorts

Shows

  • Vantage
  • Firstpost America
  • Firstpost Africa
  • First Sports
  • Fast and Factual
  • Between The Lines
  • Flashback
  • Live TV

Events

  • Raisina Dialogue
  • Independence Day
  • Champions Trophy
  • Delhi Elections 2025
  • Budget 2025
  • US Elections 2024
  • Firstpost Defence Summit
  • Home
  • Entertainment
  • October is a great example of Shoojit Sircar's versatility — the trappings of Bollywood are yet to corrupt him

October is a great example of Shoojit Sircar's versatility — the trappings of Bollywood are yet to corrupt him

Abhishek Srivastava • April 14, 2018, 08:35:54 IST
Whatsapp Facebook Twitter

It is a victory for cine-goers that Shoojit Sircar gets opportunities to make films his way sans interference.

Advertisement
Subscribe Join Us
Add as a preferred source on Google
Prefer
Firstpost
On
Google
October is a great example of Shoojit Sircar's versatility — the trappings of Bollywood are yet to corrupt him

It’s unfortunate that Shoojit Sircar’s debut (Yahaan) was completely washed away by the now infamous Mumbai floods of 2005. In fact, the flood had put a break on the career of two more directors who were debuting the same day. More than a decade later while the two have gone into oblivion, Shoojit has only emerged stronger and better. Thirteen years, five films and tons of ad films later, it can safely be assumed that Shoojit Sircar has now carved a place for himself in the industry. So versatile has been his trajectory that in a short span of time, he has delivered a motley of genres that others could only think of. While his debut film Yahaan was a romantic saga, he changed gears in his next film when he made a full-fledged comedy with Vicky Donor. [caption id=“attachment_4431207” align=“alignnone” width=“825”] ![October, directed by Shoojit Sircar and starring Varun Dhawan and Banita Sandhu, released on 13 April. Facebook](https://images.firstpost.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Shoojit825_1.jpg) October, directed by Shoojit Sircar and starring Varun Dhawan and Banita Sandhu, released on 13 April. Facebook[/caption] His third film defied all expectations when he delivered a taut thriller with Madras Café. With his slice-of-life _Piku_ , people started seeing glimpses of Hrishikesh Mukherjee in his approach. His current film _October_ delves into the terrain of an offbeat love story. _Also read: Shoojit Sircar on choosing the lead of October: 'I did not cast him as Varun Dhawan. For me, it's his debut film'_ Sircar’s sports and theatre grinding allows him to view the world through a different prism. The never-say-die attitude coupled with his rock-solid integrity has helped him reach a position which could only be inspirational to others. The years spent at NSD and in the company of Pradeep Sircar in Delhi proved to be a vista which exposed him to myriads of things and instilled in him a unique mantra — any story when told in an interesting fashion is bound to strike a chord with viewers. For a person who considers himself a football player first and a director only after, the trick lies in the fact that he thinks of himself as the viewer of his own films. It’s a pity that even after the success of Vicky Donor, he failed to develop muscle and clout in the industry. Vicky Donor itself was marred by several problems which included rejection by known actors who were more concerned about their image than giving consent to play a sperm donor. The film managed to reach floors thanks to Shoojit’s own money after he raced to complete the scores of ad films so he could gather money to start the project. Later John Abraham was able to decipher and comprehend his vision. Despite the mega success of Piku, his next production  _Pink_ still made him do the rounds of several studios. One studio even showed the temerity of inscribing ‘commercially not viable’ on the script of Pink, which was given to the mandarins for their consideration. The trappings of Bollywood are yet to corrupt him. The limelight and lure of Bollywood that Shoojit detests to no limits has forced him to shift his two daughters to Kolkata for education. He is candid enough to admit that Bollywood is a different world. [caption id=“attachment_4431201” align=“alignnone” width=“825”] ![Shoojit Sircar films: Vicky Donor, Piku, Pink. Facebook](https://images.firstpost.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Shoojit825_2.jpg) Shoojit Sircar films: Vicky Donor (2012), Piku (2015), Pink (2016). Facebook[/caption] Inform him that his film sensibility reminds filmgoers of Hrishi_da_ and he is quick to deny this. He is equally quick to accept that if at all he gathers any inspiration from a filmmaker, it has always been Satyajit Ray. The man who had twice failed to comprehend _Pather Panchali_ during his school days is so obsessed with Ray’s films that he often gifts DVDs to his actors who have not seen his work. It’s essential for his crew to watch films of Satyajit Ray. Shoojit could also be described as the man who was at the right place at the right time. His induction into the world of art and cinema began when he took a stroll from Le Méridien, during his lunch hour to see a Naseeruddin Shah production at the NSD. The urge to be a part of this world became so irresistible that later he became one of the founders of the theatre group Act One. Though he remained confined behind the stage, he learnt a lot from his contemporaries which included Manoj Vajpayee, Piyush Mishra and Seema Biswas. While working for Pradeep Sircar in Delhi, he was one of his three assistants. The other two being Dibakar Banerjee and Jaideep Sahni. Shoojit is someone who believes in keeping his sets free from any sort of stress and gives ample opportunity to his actors to get into the character even if it means swallowing his own ego. For him, it’s the film which always comes first. The sportsman spirit is visible in all facets of his films. He remains the only filmmaker who often mentions and talks about writers of his films before actors and technicians. For someone who feels that making masala films might just make him sick, the middle-class sensibility is still rooted in an intact manner in most of Sircar’s films. It’s a victory for cinegoers that Shoojit is actually getting opportunities to make films his way sans interference. Let’s pray it remains this way, for the sake of good cinema.

Tags
Bollywood BuzzPatrol Pink Vicky Donor Shoojit Sircar October Piku Yahaan
End of Article
Latest News
Find us on YouTube
Subscribe
End of Article

Top Stories

Israel targets top Hamas leaders in Doha; Qatar, Iran condemn strike as violation of sovereignty

Israel targets top Hamas leaders in Doha; Qatar, Iran condemn strike as violation of sovereignty

Nepal: Oli to continue until new PM is sworn in, nation on edge as all branches of govt torched

Nepal: Oli to continue until new PM is sworn in, nation on edge as all branches of govt torched

Who is CP Radhakrishnan, India's next vice-president?

Who is CP Radhakrishnan, India's next vice-president?

Israel informed US ahead of strikes on Hamas leaders in Doha, says White House

Israel informed US ahead of strikes on Hamas leaders in Doha, says White House

Israel targets top Hamas leaders in Doha; Qatar, Iran condemn strike as violation of sovereignty

Israel targets top Hamas leaders in Doha; Qatar, Iran condemn strike as violation of sovereignty

Nepal: Oli to continue until new PM is sworn in, nation on edge as all branches of govt torched

Nepal: Oli to continue until new PM is sworn in, nation on edge as all branches of govt torched

Who is CP Radhakrishnan, India's next vice-president?

Who is CP Radhakrishnan, India's next vice-president?

Israel informed US ahead of strikes on Hamas leaders in Doha, says White House

Israel informed US ahead of strikes on Hamas leaders in Doha, says White House

Top Shows

Vantage Firstpost America Firstpost Africa First Sports
Latest News About Firstpost
Most Searched Categories
  • Web Stories
  • World
  • India
  • Explainers
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • Cricket
  • Tech/Auto
  • Entertainment
  • IPL 2025
NETWORK18 SITES
  • News18
  • Money Control
  • CNBC TV18
  • Forbes India
  • Advertise with us
  • Sitemap
Firstpost Logo

is on YouTube

Subscribe Now

Copyright @ 2024. Firstpost - All Rights Reserved

About Us Contact Us Privacy Policy Cookie Policy Terms Of Use
Home Video Shorts Live TV