“Film making is an art of touching the soul” Sagar Ballary

Debutant director Sagar Ballary, whose first film ‘Bheja Fry’ has just been released is a filmmaker with a difference. Sagar completed his low budget comedy in 19 days, the movie which has received rave reviews, revolves around an idiot and an arrogant music baron. In an exclusive interview with Indianmotionpictures.com, the debutant talks about ‘Bheja fry’ and his vision of cinema.

Excerpts
 
IMP. Quite an out of the box title?
SB.   Yeah, earlier we named it “Ding Dong Baby Sing a Song”, but we wanted something catchy, something, which immediately hits the listener, so when I called up Arpita, the writer she said “Don’t Bheja Fry me now’ & that’s it .When we told the producer he just loved it, and said it makes you smile & it had an instinct. We followed his instinct & it worked. When anybody hears Bheja Fry he smiles, the emotion of the film is captured in 2 words.

IMP. In which genre would you like to call your film?
SB.    I would call it as a commercial film as it appeases to the sensibilities of all people & if you understand Hindi, Basic Humor, then it classifieds into a universal film as it appeases to children& adults.

IMP. Is your film a sarcastic comment on intellectuals?
SB.   Hmm, it is a sarcastic comment on arrogant people who think there is no end to them. it’s more of a statement on arrogance rather than being a sarcastic comment on intellectuals. Intellectuals do become arrogant when they hold power and position in society & they start doing things, which are not normal like calling people & making fun of them, laugh at other people’s expense. What a mean thing to do.

IMP. From where did the idea (Bheja) of Bheja fry come from?
SB.   Lot of reasons, first of all very bad comedies where being made & I wanted to make my first film. I have seen the French version of this film. I was working with Rajat in a film called ‘Raghu Romeo”, where Raghu is an idiot in the film. In one of the scene, Raghu is singing a song while looking at the moon. Instantly, the thought came to my mind that it would be deadly to make a film on an idiot who sings, & by the same time Indian idol was happening, where everybody sings and wants to be a singer. We realized that we could make a good film on a good idiot who sings and well everything fell into place and eventually we came up with Bharat Bhushan an idot who sings.

IMP. What challenge did you face as a debutant film director?
SB.     I had very little money & the film had to be completed in 18 days. Everything was tight budget. I did not crimp that money is less & a good film will not be made. I did managed to make a film which is low budget, but it doesn’t look like a low budget film. When people see it on the screen they should say ‘ Vow’ it should be shocking, this was the biggest challenge for me and I have tried to make a good film with whatever training I have got from the institute, whatever craft I have learnt from the great masters like Shubrato Mitra.

IMP. Film very much sounds like a play?
SB.   Yes, in the sense all the actors, have a theatre background & the plot ends up at a place at Ranjit thadani’s house. But, in no way it can be called a play. It is being shot like a proper picture. I do not believe in photographed theatre, it really spoils the show. But at the same time, it has the magic of those old popular plays like the pakistani play “ Bakra Kishton Pe’, its basic humor. It is not a sex humor, cleavage show, or slapstick humor where people are slapping each other.

IMP. What is the recipe of your Bheja fry?
SB.   Mad dialogues, good script, & great performances by all the actors.

IMP. Who do you think is the biggest idiot?
SB.   Is a person who thinks there is no end to himself, the moment you become arrogant & start taking things for granted then you become the prime for a fall. Such types are the biggest fools.

IMP. Given the opportunity to do a mega budget film, will you compromise with the type of cinema you believe in?
SB. I would like to use my knowledge of good film making into making a film, which addresses to all hindi speaking audience. Technicalities of Indian films need to be raised. We have had brilliant film makers like the late “Mukul S Anand who made Khuda Gawah, Hum, Agneepath, this films are great films technically in the context of film making, & have become the area of discussion.
 I want to make films which touches the soul of  the audience. As I believe film making is an art of touching the soul, I know it is a difficult task, cause here you have to feed in many sensibilities. I am really thinking of a big budget cinema of that kind.

IMP. Why should a common cinegoer watch your film?
SB.     A very different comedy, which has not been done before. If you have not watched Bheja fry you have definitely laughed less this year.