Indian filmmaker Manish Mundra has a notable presence in the world of Hindi cinema and is appreciated by enthusiasts of heartwarming Hindi films as a producer who has supported entertainment cinema with a cause. He is the founder of Drishyam Films, which has produced many critically acclaimed films. Hindi films of the last decade. They include Newton, Aankhon Dekhi, Kadvi Hawa, Masaan, Dhanak and Kaamyaab. Last September, he made his directorial debut with Siya. Starring Vineet Kumar Singh and Pooja Pandey in the lead roles. The film, released in Indian cinemas on September 16, tells the story of a 17-year-old village woman and her fight for justice after being raped by her stalkers.
Siya is a story for the Indian audience. It shows the harsh truth of the violence that women face in rural India and the struggles they go through. In this exclusive interview, Mundra talks about her new film, her career and much more.
How do you see the evolution of Hindi cinema?
Hindi cinema wishes to bring content and variety to life in acting, storytelling and presentation; Precisely as we see in the Malayalam, Marathi and Telugu films. They have several histories and their shooting styles vary. In Hindi cinema, there is a set pattern: some films make money, but most fail. That’s why we Hindi filmmakers want to get back to the drawing board and the work on smart content creation. We have a huge audience for Hindi cinema, both in India and abroad, we just need to live up to it.
There have been many debates over the content of Hindi cinema since the closure of theaters due to the pandemic exposed Hindi cinema audiences to films in other languages. Where do you think Hindi cinema is heading?
Hindi cinema is a mess right now, however, creators have to settle for things being wrong, then learn, rework them, and start working the content and characters. We can’t just play with stars and fame. You have to get out of the 3 days of box racing and competition. We want to realize that the story is important, as are the characters. The film will remain (in theaters) if the story is intelligent and has well-constructed characters.
Another vital thing is that we will have to realize the importance of the budget. Filmmakers spend too much to raise the price of their films. This requires correction.
Siya’s (the new film’s main character) fight for justice is within the rules and the anger is never evident. Why does the film take a righteous stance instead of an angry one?
Real life is not like the videos we have seen, we rarely react in such a way that a hero stands up, avengs the less privileged and gets justice. Not everyone can respond and fight for justice. Many don’t have the strength, resources, or means, and many can’t even communicate that they’ve been wronged by the hardliners. Mahendra (Singh’s character in the film) is presented as a hero, but he does nothing but take the right steps. He does his best to record a FIR, for example, but he doesn’t show wonderful heroism in his fight for justice. It is about those who have strength and those who do not. That’s the problem: other tough guys do what they need to do with the weak. These other tough people also protect those who commit such crimes.
How was your production company, Drishyam Films, born?
I followed Rajat Kapoor on Twitter and wrote to him when he tweeted about the fundraiser for Aakhon Dekhi. My goal is to make the film and come back. It’s like crossing an item off my to-do list. But after the film and the critical appreciation, I felt it was a position to stay. I am satisfied with all the films I have on Drishyam Films. I think anyone who has a list of films (like Drishyam Films) would be proud of it.
(It has been edited and condensed for clarity. )
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