In the Right Direction

But that’s history. What’s making news are his two new projects which hit the floors next year.

Titled Rapchik Romance and Ghanchakkar,the filmmaker says he has consciously handpicked two completely opposite subjects — an adventurous romantic thriller and a quirky,quasi-realistic black comedy respectively.

Gupta,who was in town on a personal visit,is clear about his philosophy: “As a filmmaker,I’ll be dead if I make the same kind of films. I don’t want to be trapped in stereotypes. It’s important that I redefine and reinvent myself,for there is no greater kick than challenging your own intellect,capacity and capability.”

“We all come across people in our lives who are unbelievable in the sense that we wonder: “Oh my god,do such people really exist?”. That’s Ghanchakkar ,” says Gupta,adding how with these films,he is putting his skills to test and wants to see if he can pull it off. The first thing to undergo trial in this experiment is his writing skills. “I am a writer who gets inspired from real life. It’s those 100 pages (of script) to fill that will test me,” says Gupta.

According to him,writers make great directors because they know their characters,their plot and their compositions. Writing is a solitary process that he enjoys immensely,just like he enjoys making money from his smartly budgeted films. Sample this: Aamir was made in just about Rs 1.75 crore while No One Killed Jessica cost him Rs 10 crore. “Post release,Jessica made Rs 49 crore,and that’s something our industry needs to understand and is waking up to. It’s very important to work under a budget and earn over it.” He feels that nowadays,a lot of money is being spent on the stars and their paraphernalia. “Even if we spend 50 per cent of a film budget on actual filmmaking,the quality of cinema will improve,” he says. The Rs 100-crore mark,he says,is a result of herd mentality. “Next year,it may go up to Rs 200 crore! In any case,the business dynamics have changed. Films now recover their money in the first weekend or first two weeks and also through satellite rights,” reasons Gupta.

On the upside,he agrees that the entry of new players and risk-taking producers has made the industry more exciting. But Gupta is not taking any formula too seriously. “Being a director is my job,something I enjoy. And like any other job,this too comes with its frustrations and roadblocks. But my aim is to establish a connect with my audiences through my films. Once you’ve managed that,you’ve hit a home run,” he concludes.