Shoojit Sircar Quotes

My major influence is Satyajit Ray; his film ‘Shatranj ke Khilari’ was set in Awadh and it gave us memorable characters. Ray’s musical scores and soundtracks were an intrinsic part of his films. And music to me is important, too.

When a film is made, its release is decided by its destiny. Nothing is bigger than that, not even me.

I never try and send messages through my feature films; it’s always naturally woven in and comes through on its own, as that’s the way I think about society.

Amitabh Bachchan is an intelligent actor.

There is no definition to love. It is a feeling.

Any fictional story will take things from real events.

I am mostly at home and I do my housework, I read and I love watching documentaries. In short, I love staying at home.

Women have shown their skills and that’s why they have been accepted in the industry. It’s through their skill that they have managed to make a mark for themselves and also earned respect.

My films are always a struggle to make and will remain so.

For me, it took a little time to understand the nitty-gritties of Lucknow.

It is difficult to make movies on your own terms and also to make a film and convince somebody to have faith in it.

I am happy that I am back and with a great project like ‘Vicky Donor.’ I have had a hard time in the past with ‘Johnny Mastana’ getting stuck but I hope this film brings positiveness into my life.

As men, we can never fully understand the experience women go through.

I think Mary Kom should be an international star.

I have lived in South Delhi amidst greenery.

If I bother about the expectations how will I make a film?

It is very difficult to explain poetry. You have to understand the poetry and figure out your own take and your relatability.

When I made ‘Vicky Donor,’ people said it’s not a family drama, it is for youngsters. But families also went and watched the film. Same happened with ‘Piku’ and ‘October.’

I am thankful for the fact that the audience doesn’t expect common, run-of-the-mill films from me. But the fact of the matter is that if the subject doesn’t hit me hard enough, I will not do it.

I decided that I have certain taste in cinema and I will take it forward. I know there is an audience for such cinema.

I can’t speak for other people but the budget of my films is super tight to an extent that people can’t even imagine.

If I am not able to go to theaters confidently and watch a film then I don’t expect people to watch my film also.

My films are based on themes, so I always go for theme tracks and background score.

I don’t spend unnecessarily. The problem with the industry is we don’t budget our films. Plus, we spend bizarre amounts on marketing. If you have a good film and a good trailer, you don’t need to spend so much.

I had a personal experience of my mum being in comatose state in 2004. I would go to the hospital every day but would not do anything. I would just meet the doctor for five minutes who would update me about her.

Making a film on Mary Kom means that people should be watching it across the globe; it should be that level.

I hardly watch commercial films but I have nothing against them.

Slice of life comedy is something which I enjoy more. These moments make you smile when you think about them. And these moments work for a film as well, rather than slapstick comedy.

I remember watching an Iranian film, ‘A Separation.’ When the film ended, I felt like going to Iran, getting that family together, hug them and just being with them.

A mother does a thankless job; they take care of their children unconditionally.

Both ‘Gulabo Sitabo’ and ‘Udham Singh’ are cinematic experiences; nothing is less, nothing is more. It’s all about creating good cinema.

I have been thinking of many subjects to work around football, but nothing has inspired me. ‘Sports’ is a good subject. But, nothing has inspired me to make a film.

Foremost is the casting; you need convincing faces. Most of our films suffer from casting.

Whatever subject I choose, I do a PhD in it.

My dad was suffering with cancer for six years and my mum was in coma for three-and-a-half months. So, I have seen the hospital life.

The word ‘cinema’ itself means that you have to go to the cinemas and watch it.

I try not to shoot unnecessarily or spend on extra expenses that normally happen on a film set – like actors’ fees.

In my films writers are more important than actors.

I never got interested in musicals.

It is easier to make a film but difficult to make it on your own terms. In that sense ‘Madras Cafe’ was a very satisfying experience.

Women have initiated the change all by themselves. The credit goes to them. Men have had no role to play in the rise in women’s representation on a film set.

I lived in the south near Tughlaqabad. My father was in the Air Force station. I used to go to Tughlaqabad Fort, and there’s a huge city park there a big city forest, near the ruins. They were so beautiful. So I have been to those parks.

I have seen many festival films and I will be blunt, I don’t think ‘Madras Cafe’ was ready for festivals.

For all my films, location plays an important role because I like to give the authentic look of the place. And for that, one must go there and shoot at the right spots.

Patriarchy is so ingrained in our psyche, that most us propagate it in small ways even without realizing.

I purposely adopted a style in my storytelling wherein I don’t have to explain everything or why the story is moving in a particular way.

‘Gulabo Sitabo’ is a simple satire on life. It’s a genre I have tried for the first time.

It is very difficult to make films like ‘Madras Cafe’ in India, given the diverse nature of the country.

Human beings have become so insensitive to daily life, they don’t remember what happened five minutes back.

Lucknow’s architecture is a part of life in the city.

Delhi is not just India Gate and Lal Qila, its way beyond that. There are a lot of things that’s Delhi, which only a Dilliwalla can understand.

No one is bigger than cinema.

When I got to Mumbai, I missed the Delhi parks and grounds.

My films, sometimes, have my own reflections of life. They have life lessons I’ve had that I put across in a humorous or satirical way.

Humor is a very personal, subjective thing.

A lot of expectations come from a Shoojit Sircar film, especially after ‘Piku.’

I think actors do need some hand holding to know what they are doing.

Men have realized that when it comes to the workplace, both the sexes have equal stake because jobs are given based on talent and skill.

I have been working on one film at a time. One film recovers a little cost and that helps me move on to the next one.

Yes, I can be rigid and adamant about a point of view.

Once the censorship board clears a film, there should not be any other obstacle for a film’s theatrical run.

Lucknow is a bustling city with warm, friendly people. ‘Gulabo Sitabo’ is the essence of this city.

My first visit to Lucknow was perhaps in 1995-96. I was then working with theatre director Ranjit Kapur on the production of ‘Court Martial’ and we travelled to Lucknow on assignment.

Documentary films have always been my passion, I have done documentaries.

All my stories are mainly slice-of-life and rooted to real issues and situations that I have experienced myself.

Actually the writer is the most important part of the filmmaking process. That’s why I never hesitate in giving credit to a writer which I don’t think even Hollywood does.

I call it an ensemble cast or the world of ‘Gulabo Sitabo’ which is about the lifestyle of my characters. I just go and sit there in a corner and observe these characters through my camera. That’s how I shot the film.

‘Piku’ is not at all a film in the Bollywood kind of way.

You can understand the integrity of the filmmaker from his camera angles. You can’t hide anything from it.

Cinema will not go anywhere. We want to watch movies in theaters. Cinema and digital will coexist.

I think as the largest democracy in the world, we have self-conscious filmmakers who can handle sensitive themes.

When I shoot a film, I take my camera and put it among the characters and let it show you their world, their problems, their happiness and the little things that matter to them.

We make films because cinemas exhibit it, and they exhibit as we make films.

‘Vicky Donor’ is now seen as a case study and the intelligentsias are looking at it from a strong academic point of view. I keep getting calls from medical practitioners who constantly thank me for making this film.

Normally my films have a single thread of an emotion, an insight or one single belief, and then I turn the entire story and build it around that.