Not run of the mill!

Manpriya Singh

It’s a big deal to not get consumed by Friday runs and instead explore the themes of masculinity and gender relations. An even bigger deal to be touching upon the larger serious backdrop of communalism, class identities; urban spaces...

For film-maker Rahul Roy, documentaries are a means of dwelling upon his core concerns. “These concerns keep featuring in the work I do. It’s also a lot to do with your interests. I have always been interested in labour issues. However, with this film I am addressing some issues in organised labour,” he talks about his latest project The Factory, while in Chandigarh for an event by Chandigarh Creative Cinema Circle.

Trigger point

As many as 147 workers of India’s largest automobile manufacturing company Maruti Suzuki are on trial for the murder of a senior manager and 2,500 workers have been dismissed. It has been two-and-a-half years and the case drags on. Their bail application has been rejected by the courts. Ironical, as the nation is consumed with the bail status of an errant super star. As for the infamous case, “Since I’m a film-maker, I’m not claiming to be objective about it. I do feel injustice has been done.” He adds, “The film talks about why there was violence, shuttles back and forth between the past and present.”

Target audience

Credit the formula films to the masses and good films to the niche audience. “The audience has changed completely in the past decade. Nice part is that the audience is underground. You can never get a sense of how many people are watching your films. But most important thing is that people are watching. Films are not dying anymore.” As important as encouraging!

Challenges ahead

After two decades in the industry and films like Let’s Talk Men, The City Beautiful, When Four Friends Meet, he might not face shut doors anymore but it doesn’t change certain things. “Yes, things are much easier now but as a film-maker I still feel the same way about starting a new project. There is no guarantee to a film being received well.” Which is why, “You can’t survive making documentaries alone. It’s always better to have a Plan B, C and even D,” laughs the Delhi- based film-maker.

Parallel vs commercial

What ticks him off the mainstream cinema is not even the formulae as much as the ridiculous promotional budgets. “It’s a vicious circle. The amount of money required for publicity itself is incredulous. Any producer to be pumping in that kind of money will obviously give into the pressures of the industry. That’s where the formula comes in.”

Not to forget the publicity stunts and marketing gimmicks. He laughs, “Why should I make my life miserable with the pressure from the mainstream cinema?”

The Factory to be screened on May 9, 4 pm onwards at the Govt. Art Museum Auditorium-10, Chandigarh.

manpriya@tribunemail.com