WHY DO I MAKE FILMS?

My films are observational in nature. When I say observational, it can be quite blunt and confusing, because no observation is complete without addressing the observer. Observation cannot be neutral; choosing what to observe is a choice.

So let’s talk about the observer.

I want my films to carry the times we live in, the way I see the world and my understanding and reading of it. It is an aesthetic act, using the best medium of expression I know; it is a political act as well.

We live in an unequal society. As a filmmaker, I have to be very conscious of my own privileges and the position from which I am looking at someone else’s life or the events around me. People are not homogeneous. We are all unique. While addressing and acknowledging this uniqueness, it is important to me to ask these questions. From where does she/he/they come from? What are the socio-economic, class-caste structures that have shaped their realities and lives? How do I comprehend the truth (let’s call it the cinematic truth) which I’m seeking through my films, through these complexities?

I would like to believe that I’m a continuation, another drop in the ocean; nearly 130 years of hard work, experiments, a plethora of magnanimous works lie before me. I’m awed and humbled. I’m knowingly or unknowingly copying them on a day-to-day basis, believing I could also add a grain of salt to this vastness; I’m still trying, and my humble body of work will hopefully one day reflect it.