Interviewed by – Robin Tyagi (Sub-editor)
Edited by – Robin Bhuyan (Editor-in-Chief)
Written by – Nupur Jha
One of the most underrated yet skilled directors and writers in the Indian film industry is Manish Gupta. Over the years, he has carved out his unique genre, blending real-life cases with an intriguing suspense writing style.
As a director, he is known for “Rahasya” (2015), inspired by the infamous Aarushi murder case. His other notable works include “Sarkar” (2005), “The Stoneman Murders” (2009), “Hostel” (2011), “420 IPC” (2021), and “Section 375 (2019).” His recent film, ‘One Friday Night,’ starring Milind Soman and Raveena Tandon, was recently released on OTT platforms.
Enigmatic Horizon recently had an exclusive interview with the talented filmmaker, where he provided a candid and insightful glimpse into his direction, writing style, and the challenges he faced. He also shed light on some dark unknown truths of Indian cinema, such as nepotism and celebrity worship culture.
Tell us about your involvement in your first film ‘Darna Zaroori Hai’? Are there any incidents that you would like to share with us?
“Darna Zaroori Hai” was the first film where I worked as a director. The movie, an anthology film with five different directors handling five distinct stories, posed initial challenges. At that time, being only 28 without any film background or experience, my vision and confidence aided me. I faced difficulties initially, but with the guidance of my experienced crew, I successfully navigated through the process.
Do you still feel anxious regarding your projects?
No, not at all. Filmmaking has become second nature to me. Even in the early days, I had confidence but lacked experience. If fear had prevailed, I wouldn’t have become a director.
After ‘Darna Zaroori Hain,’ you directed ‘The Stoneman Murders,’ your first solo film as a director. You were also the writer. Is it difficult to be a writer and director at the same time?
Being the writer and director simultaneously actually eases the process. Understanding the vision becomes more straightforward since I am the one who wrote it. This synergy eliminates communication gaps in filmmaking, avoiding conflicts. If changes were necessary or doubts arose, I served as the one-stop solution.
What inspired you to write ‘The Stoneman Murders’?
The inspiration came from real incidents in the 1980s, involving an unknown serial killer who targeted homeless people by fatally bashing their heads while they slept on the roadside. He used large stones as weapons, evading capture and maintaining anonymity. The Police suspected him to be mentally unstable or a psychopath.
‘Rahasya’ was one of your most successful movies. Where did you get the idea for the film?
While Agatha Christie’s novels influenced my direction, the Aarushi Murder case primarily inspired the story. However, releasing the film faced challenges due to the Talwar family’s legal issues. They filed a case against my film, causing an 11-month delay in the high court. This impacted the business potential, hindering what could have been a substantial commercial success.
Is there any bias in international award ceremonies preventing Indian movies from being promoted or listed? What’s your opinion on this?
I don’t perceive bias; rather, the quality of Indian cinema often falls short at international award ceremonies. While we boast talented cinematographers and actors like KK Menon and Nawazuddin Siddiqui, the industry lacks strong writing. Most of our movies lack a proper story and structure. There is a lack of good directors as well. Only few films such as the Marathi film ‘Court’, and ‘Tumbaad’, which is among my favorite movies, have compelling stories, and are worthy of international appeal, but they lack the promotion and funding they deserve.
In a previous interview, you mentioned that the public is equally responsible for nepotism. Could you elaborate?
Casting known faces is a response to audience preferences for familiarity. The public treats actors like gods, leading to the casting of industry insiders’ kids and relatives. This garners media and public attention, reinforcing the cycle.
Talking about AI, will the film industry face its impact too?
AI has influenced filmmaking, aiding tasks like designing movie posters. While it may reduce workload, it cannot replace a director’s creative input, although it can reduce their workload.
OTT has proven to be a platform for newcomers or underrated directors. How do you think OTT is better than big-screen films?
Initially, OTT provided opportunities for newcomers, but now it is starting to become similar to cinema. Casting a known face boosts viewership, regardless of content quality, and this trend of cinema can also be seen in OTT now.
As a director, what was the biggest challenge you faced?
Securing finances remains the most significant challenge, since I don’t look for a star cast. Let me tell you an unknown fact about the industry. In many cases, directors don’t cast the actors. Especially in the big budget movies, actors often choose the directors and dictate directorial choices. This shows the dominance of star actors in decision-making. They dictate the subject and choose the writer according to their preferences. The script will be written according to them, and directors will follow their directions. In our industry, it is the big star actors who control everything. You can call them the ghost directors. Most of our directors either follow whatever their actor says or maintain a good relationship with the big names. Fortunately, we do have a few visionary directors, such as Sudhir Mishra, Prakash Jha, Divakar Banerjee, Anurag Kashyap, Rajkumar Hirani, and Sanjay Leela Bhansali. In the industry,
The film industry is now hiring influencers and using social media for promotions. What is your take on this?
With changing media dynamics, social media’s widespread use has shifted promotional strategies. Maximum promotion occurs on social media due to its extensive reach compared to traditional channels like newspapers or TV!
