The Hindi version of the acclaimed Malayalam film Footage (2024) will be released nationwide on March 7. A few days before the release, a five-minute footage of Footage was shown to mediapersons in Mumbai by its team – actors Manju Warrier, Vishak Nair, Gayathri Ashok, co-writer Shabna Mohammed and director Saiju Sreedharan and director-editor-producer-co writer Saiju Sreedharan. Anurag Kashyap, who presented Footage in Malayalam and is now helping it release in Hindi, also made his presence felt and stole the show with his quotes.
EXPLOSIVE: Anurag Kashyap reveals, “50 people were controlling Bombay Velvet; they wanted 2.20 hrs version when contract mentioned 2.55 hr…the contract DIDN’T matter”; also reveals a builder-producer derailed Tigers: “Emraan Hashmi was so good in that film; he didn’t even charge money for it”
Anurag spoke highly of Malayalam cinema, “The Malayalam filmmakers support each other. They are happy for each other. Jiski film chal gayi, woh sabko toddy pilata hai (laughs). Here, if some other filmmaker’s film wins, toh log peete hai, gham mein!”
He continued, “Most of the actors want to do newer stuff. They are even supporting films in which they are not acting. Premalu (2024), for example, had Fahadh Faasil, Dileesh Pothan and Syam Pushkaran as producers. Tovino Thomas is producing a film in which he’s not acting. The conventional producers in Kerala are now protesting against actors turning into producers! The conventional way of making films is changing. The game is always based on predictability. The actors out there themselves are challenging that game. Yeh ideally har jagah hona chahiye.”
Anurag Kashyap also said that often, directors don’t have a say in the post-production process. He explained, “It depends on why you are making a film. I’ll make the film with new people, I’ll work on a low cost but nobody will have a say on my editing table. If your film is star-driven, his personality will also dictate how the film will shape up. If the star is a controlling person, he’ll want to control the film as well. If the producer is a controlling person, then he’ll want to control it too. A lot of films have been ruined because of that.”
He continued, “If the film is not cost-effective, then the producer and others will interfere as the recovery then becomes much more important. Hence, if I go beyond a certain budget, the film gets out of my hand which happened (with Bombay Velvet; 2015). It had a huge budget. 50 people were controlling the film. The lesser the cost, the more freedom you get.”
On getting Thelma Schoonmaker, the editor of Martin Scorsese films, on board for Bombay Velvet, Anurag Kashyap said, “She came to save the film. They wanted 2 hours 20-minute-long version despite the contract saying 2 hours 55 minutes. The contract didn’t matter. Also, nobody stood by the film. They were bringing some random editor to cut down the film. I argued, ‘If it has to be shortened, then let’s do it aesthetically’. That’s how Thelma came on board.”
A journalist asked if he’d like to collaborate with a wealthy cinephile, who’ll give him all the money he wants to make a film. Anurag Kashyap explained, “I am very scared of them. They are living their own fantasy. Mostly, they inherit wealth. They want their own version of a film. They don’t know how to engage as they have not been a part of cinema. Then, they use money to control and that makes the whole process ugly. Their last stand always is, ‘Paise mere hai. Toh film meri hai. Mujhe fark nahin padta hai film release nahin hui toh’. For him, it’s nothing. Haath ka mail hai. Him writing off Rs. 5-6 crores is you writing off 2 years of your life.”
He continued, “It has happened many times. Several good films were never released. Once a builder was a part of a film which Danis Tanović directed called Tigers. It had such a delayed release. Why? Because of a wealthy cinephile!”
Anurag further said, “Emraan Hashmi was so good in that film and he didn’t even charge money for it. It went to the festivals and didn’t release
(theatrically) in India. It straightaway went to OTT that too 5 years later. That’s because it was stuck in the conflict of money people.”
He remarked, “Filmmaking is the only business where the other kind of things don’t make sense. Otherwise, Tatas, Ambanis and Adanis would have been the biggest film producers.”
Anurag also said that only those who understand the film business succeed. He said, “Gulshan Rai understood the film business and why films worked. Such people are also generous. Today, if you want to use an old song, (companies would charge a bomb). Once, I needed footage from Gulshan Rai’s films. I called his son Rajiv Rai. He’s such a generous cinephile that he told me, ‘Use what you want’. Yash Johar was like that. He was such an amazing producer; one of the finest in the industry.”
Also Read: Anurag Kashyap reveals that he had considered Manju Warrier and Nayanthara for Amruta Subhash’s role in Sacred Games; also reveals, “Geethu Mohandas likes to take charge of my life; I am so happy that she’s busy with Toxic since 2 years”
More Pages: Bombay Velvet Box Office Collection , Bombay Velvet Movie Review
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