Love,Finally

Mod is not exactly a remake of Keeping Watch . Only the soul of the film is identical. I watched Keeping Watch ,as a jury member of the Asian Festival of First Films in Singapore in 2008. Immediately,I saw my version,set in a utopian small town India. In the first 15-20 minutes,I had already made up my mind.

Everyone has their own interpretations of this human emotion,I made a film on my interpretation. I want to make a film in every genre. Now that I’m done with a love story,I’ve got sci-fi,horror and lots more to explore. For me,urban India has lost its charm,its just nameless and faceless. I wanted to isolate the characters of my film and put them in a small town,away from the maddening crowd

You had said that you will never make a love story. But here it is. What brought about this change of heart?

I thought I had nothing new to add to this subject. But suddenly,I felt that this was the story I could hang my hat on. Mod is about a young girl who works in a clock store and fends for her family. Things change when a stranger comes to the store,and keeps returning to get his watch repaired. He had been with the girl in school and was in love. But,their lives soon arrive at a mod (a turning point). Mod was both fun and difficult; difficult because love stories are full of clichés. The worst thing in the world is saying ‘I love you’,which never happens in the movie.

Original screenplays or adaptations,which one is easier?

Original screenplays are a whole lot easier than adaptations. With adaptations,you are bound in some way by where the original story runs. Plus,I have never been excited about remakes,because if a classic stood the test of time,I think it should be left alone.

You are also known for your 40-day shooting schedules for almost all films.

This one took 42 days (sighs),the first time I crossed the 40-day barrier.