SUNANDO MITRA tells Jyothi Venkatesh that he has not set out to lampoon Ekta Kapoor with his though provoking film Idiot Box…
Have you set out to lampoon Ekta Kapoor and the TV industry with your film Idiot Box?
No. The TV industry is on boom thanks to the largest production house Balaji and entrepreneur Ekta Kapoor. There is a change over in the industry and a lot of talented technicians who were unable to make both ends meet are now quite busy with work. The way Ekta hooked all the housewives with the kind of content that she showed in her serials is remarkable. One major reason why her serials worked is the way she showed women as protagonists. The serial is a feel good factor for the suppressed woman. The heroines in all Ekta’s serials break through the odds and set out to do what they want to do. It gave me an idea, what if a slice of life of a common man is incorporated in my film
What is your mission as a director of Idiot Box?
I wanted to show the comical aspect of a confused creative director, who is in dearth of fresh content and ideas.
Why did you opt for new comers instead of stars for Idiot Box?
I went in for actors who suited their roles in my film rather than stars. I actually had five or six actors in my mind when I decided to sit on the casting for the film. I had approached Sushant Singh first, but some how it did not work out. I had even thought of actors like Arshad Warsi, Irrfan Khan and Anuj Sawhney too.
Was Hrishita Bhatt the first choice for your film Idiot Box?
No. Frankly speaking, for the role which Hrishita Bhatt plays in my film, I had thought of actresses like Rituparna Sengupta, Koel Mallik, daughter of actor Ranjit Mullick who had acted in Rajkumar Santoshi’s film Khakhi but eventually settled down for Hrishita, who I feel really fits the bill.
What role is Hrishita playing in Idiot Box?
Hrishita Bhatt plays a girl of today who thinks that content of a serial is crap and feels that it gives an adverse effect to society, whose eyes and ears are open and refuses to believe what happens on TV can happen in real life.
Besides Hrishita, which other actresses are playing key roles in Idiot Box?
Upasana Singh plays a woman in her 40’s who not only loves TV but also lives with the character of TV, while Jyoti Gauba plays Anekta, an entrepreneur in the TV industry.
What is the message that you set out to drive through your film?
The message that I set out to drive home through my film is that a slice of life of a common man, whether it is created or natural, can be the content, which can create interest in human life. I call my film a film on the daily soap of life.
Is Idiot Box your debut film as a director?
No. Though Idiot Box will be the first film of mine to get a release, it is actually not my first film. My first film was Jehad, a hard-hitting satire on terrorism, which I had conceived long before Kabir Khan had even thought of New York or for that matter Karan Johar may have even thought of Kurbaan. Jehad is about how intelligent college students are hand picked, brainwashed and inducted into militant outfits. New comers Siddhartha and Nupur play the lead in Jehad, which was shot in H.D. It will be transferred onto celluloid as and when the Appellate Tribunal of the Censor Board clears it. The Censor Board in Mumbai had banned the film and we now plan to approach the Revising Committee and the Appellate Tribunal.
