Laugh Lines

Shah delivered a whole new brand of humour with an almost caricaturish representation of reality,one that is as relevant today as it was 20 years ago. JBDY was Shah’s experiment,a labour of love which saw some of the best talents of the country shine. And the best part: it was produced by National Film Development Corporation on a shoestring budget of just seven lakh rupees.

Today,even as Shah moves forward,JBDY follows him like a shadow. Known for his television shows as well,including the street life of youngsters in Nukkad,the goof-ups in Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi and films like Kabhie Haan Kabhir Naa and Kya Kehna,Shah looks back and says,“I failed as a filmmaker and I am embarrassed for not being able to make more such films.”

The writer-director takes a break at the recent Haryana International Film Festival in Yamunanagar and wonders why producers still can’t visualise his films the way he wants them to. “Maybe that’s the reason I fail to get funding,” he says candidly. “The only people who were receptive to my work and ideas were at Doordarshan. Unlike the private players,Doordarshan is still open to quality programming,” says the filmmaker,who has a bagful of scripts,all comedies,waiting to be made.

The latest,however,is a serious film,“an informative cinema,” says Shah. It’s a short film called The Three Sisters,which was premiered exclusively at the festival. Produced by Zee TV,the film is based on a real incident of three sisters who committed suicide because of dowry. “It’s an activist kind of cinema where one is slightly disrespecting the audience because of the subject. And I feel this is the kind of cinema that needs to be shown,rather than a re-run of Ra.One on television.”

For Shah,humour comes from pain. “Any artist or any work of art is a product of surroundings. Our lives are interconnected with politics,economics and society. This world is a result of the ripple effect and to continue with that,we need to make quality cinema,” he says.

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