If you want to see a good film, chase the director, not the star: Jahnu Barua
The first thing you notice about the multiple national award-winning filmmaker, Jahnu Barua, is his simplicity. But beneath that lies his extensive knowledge of filmmaking. At a masterclass held recently at the Nagpur edition of the 23rd Pune International Film Festival, the veteran director spoke about his journey in the film industry, his take on using technology in filmmaking, and what should you as an audience look out for when watching a film.
‘Cinema is such a powerful medium’
The 69-year-old filmmaker, who initially wanted to be a writer, was a student at FTII. “It was called the Film Institute of India then, and to get into the institution, there were three-four tests. “Last part was the interview. When one of the members of the panel asked if I had seen any films recently, I mentioned Satyajit Ray’s Pratidwandi and John Schlesinger Midnight Cowboy. They asked what I thought of Mrinal Sen as a filmmaker. I said, ‘I don’t know but when I become a filmmaker, I wouldn’t like to make these kinds of films.’ When I shared the interview details with a senior, he told me, ‘What did you do? Mrinal Sen is sitting inside (as one of the panel members)!’ Later, Mrinalda told me, ‘I am Mrinal Sen, I expect a lot from you.’” But how did he get interested in films in the first place? “I come from a village where the word ‘cinema’ isn’t heard of. The first film my parents saw was the one I made, Aparoopa (1982). It’s only during my graduation that I got influenced as I watched some world classics. I realised that cinema is such a powerful medium, and I wanted to learn more about it,” replied Barua.
On managing children on set
There is no denying that the portrayal of children in his movies is remarkable. In fact, his Assamese directorial, Tora, received the Best Children’s Film award at the 51st National Film Awards in 2003. When asked how he manages to present them effortlessly on screen, he replied, “As a filmmaker, you must love children. If you don’t, you cannot find ways to handle them. For me, the easiest way is to understand how the child is in real life. Sometimes even they are unaware of their talent. We need to discover that hidden aspect.”
‘If the director is trash, you will get a trashy film’
Barua strongly advocates the fact that the success of a film ultimately relies on audience preferences. “I don’t say there is no urge in them to see a good film. Some movies become huge hits, while others, even if they are good, may not do well. Everything depends on the audience” he shared. Though he believes that the main character of a film is the director. “Suppose you want to read a good book, who do you chase? The writer. Similarly, if you want to see a good film, you should chase the director, not the star. If you follow the director, then you will always get a good film. If the director is trash, you will get a trashy film.”
‘It’s you who should be controlling technology’
Barua pointed out that with the advancement of technology, creativity in cinema is fading away. “Wherever there’s creativity, there’s pain. Without creativity, you lose the ability to feel. With the rise of digital technology, the struggle somewhere has gone down. Think of the pain that you took while creating something. Technology is great. It’s meant to help humanity. However, remember that it’s you who should be controlling technology, you must not allow technology to control you.
