The Dabbawala

I was ready to make Sapno Ko Ginte Ginte in 2008. It was a film with children where skating is used as a metaphor to comment on inequality. Then I thought of making a film titled Underbelly,which would be about sex and food,obviously not with children. The film sounded too similar to Delhi Belly though Underbelly was written earlier. In fact,the Delhi Belly boys had even read my script. I was in depression since things were not working out and that’s when I decided to go back to my childhood. Food occupies a bigger space in my life than even cinema and I feel that every tiffin-box is a story,it’s a microcosm of India. I used my bank of memories of sharing and having tiffin in my school and dug out Stanley Ka Dabba.

Tell us about the process of making the film. Also,were you trying to prove a point?

I had to make a film because my crew was sitting idle. There was nothing to prove,it was only the purpose. I have been working with children for years and have an entertainment and information model that I use in my workshops. Stanley Ka Dabba came out of four-hour workshops on Saturdays with the students of Holy Family High School in Mumbai. Nobody was given a script,Stanley’s Dabba gang was formed right there during the workshops. The children were asked to improvise and react naturally. It took us 75 sessions and one-and-a-half years of workshops,which we then pieced together as the film. Even in Iranian cinema,they have eight-hour shifts for children. My logic is simple: Children are the kings and queens of their universe,so if I have to film them then I have to do it in their kingdom.

Did you want to shoot Taare Zameen Par in a similar fashion?

I used a SLR camera,Canon 7 D to shoot the film with a crew of just six people. This technology was not available during Taare Zameen Par,if it were then maybe we would have used it.

Which baby do you love more — Taare Zameen Par or Stanley Ka Dabba?

Stanley Ka Dabba is more evolved in the process and even in honesty.

Have you made your peace with Taare Zameen Par,which was supposed to be your directorial debut but was eventually directed by Aamir Khan?

I’ve never been in turmoil with Taare Zameen Par. I have to thank Aamir who was deeply convinced with the story,which is why he took it right up there. Ab halwa zyaada meetha ho gaya to kya karen! Who knew me before Taare Zameen Par? With me,the film would just have been celebrated among the cerebral. When a truck driver from Lucknow calls me and says “Taare Zameen Par ne hamara nazariya badal diya”,I know it couldn’t have happened without Aamir. Ultimately,it’s a choice that you make and you should stand by it with happiness and not bitterness.

But do you feel that you own Taare Zameen Par?

Of course. There is no doubt about it. A proud parent is always a proud parent. Naam koi bhi ho kya farak padta hai? I’m a proud father of Taare Zameen Par.

What is it about children that you like working with them,making cinema about them?

Children teach us about transparency and instinct. Their honesty is refreshing. If one can imitate even if not imbibe their honesty,then one day,maybe,we have a chance to find ourselves.