He was born in a small town in Bhutan 1968. In 1986, he moved to Kolkata where he studied comparative literature. He graduated from Jadavpur University in 1989. He can speak Bengali, Russian, German and Tamil. His directorial debut, My Brother… Nikhil (2005), deals with themes such as AIDS and homosexuality. Onir’s latest film is I Am which consists of four short films exploring such themes as child abuse and same-sex relationships.
I AM which is being jointly produced by more than 400 people across the world. In an interview with K. AKHTER, he talked about his experience in Indian cinema and about his future projects. Here is excerpt from his interview:-
Kolkata – Berlin – Kolkata…..at which point of your life, you thought of Mumbai as final destination?
After I returned from Berlin I wanted to work in Kolkata, but somehow work was not happening the way I wanted to. I made a documentary called “FALLEN HERO” but found no takers except for festivals. After a while I realised that I was stagnating and I needed to move to grow. My sister was already working as an editor with Renu Saluja after having passed out from FTII and she helped me find my first job as an editor for a TV production house and I shifted base to Mumbai
Why always around alternative sexuality?
I think people see what they want to and like to compartmentalize people. Have you realized that of the four films I have made only One and one fourth of another film really deals with alternate sexuality. For me I am not dealing with alternate sexuality, I am telling stories of people that are untold and that I find compelling. Would you ask any director “why always around heterosexual relationships?”. In my films I try to voice things that are not so easily discussed. Women have very strong characterization in my films. Gender politics, sexuality, human rights are stories very few ventures into in India…. Through the world of my film I discover more about myself and the world around me. Very few mainstream Indian cinemas portray people who are not heterosexual in a normalized manner, or voice their stories. I feel it is important to do that.
My Brother Nikhil, Bus Ek Pal and Sorry Bhai….non of them worked wonder commercially?
Pyaasa, Mera Naam Joker, Bandini…. none of them worked wonders at the box office at their times. Most of Ritwik Ghataks films were not successful
at the box office. I am not claiming that I have achieved even half that skill as a film maker. What I am trying to make you understand is that box office does not decide the success of a film. Five years down the line people won’t be watching HOUSEFULL but they are still watching MY BROTHER NIKHIL worldwide. The success of any form of art is when its not just a product that is forgotten and discarded with time. Cinema as Tarkovesky says is “sculpting in time”. My job as an artist is to tell stories honestly and try to reach out to an audience with something new. My job is not to make a product that the market demands. what inspires me is the song on Van Gough ” Starry Starry Nights”. It goes “Now I understand what you tried to say to me, How you suffered for your sanity, How you tried to set them free. They would not listen, they did not know how. Perhaps they’ll listen now. “
Tell me something about ‘I am’ and something about the Producers of I am?
I Am would be India’s first mainstream film to be crowd sourced through social network sites. We have about 400 people for 45 cities across the globe who have become CO-OWNERS by contributing financially or by volunteering to work for the film.
Can we call you maker of so-called parallel cinema?
I rather be called a maker of sensible mainstream cinema.
Hamlet with Hrithik Roshan was rumour or shelved?
I want to make an adaptation of Hamlet. And Bhawani Iyre has written a beautiful script. Its a film thats got delayed due to various reason but surely not shelved. I have never approached Hrithik for the film. I was asked what would my wish list be and I had named him. It beings and ends there.
Who is Successful director in Bollywood……..Abhinav Kashyap with money minting Dabang or Sanjay Leela Bhansali with the super flop Guzarish ?
We are always jumping to conclusions. Abhinav is just one film old. Sanjay Bhansali has a body of work to be proud of. Time is the essence of success and Sanjay has given our cinema some really beautiful films and its stupid to disregard because of one film not being a box office success.
Necessity of Censor Board, your take? How justified is this to censor someone’s creativity and emotional feeling?
Maybe what we need is a censor board that just grades films. While I am a true believer in creative freedom, but I am not sure of the solution because cinema is a strong medium and can be misused. Very often a lot of regressive values are passed on to the audience in the name of entertainment. The answer is not easy.
Specific reasons for being into more and more controversies these days?
Look at the newspaper today and you realize that some media loves to create and fuel them. You should be asking them this question.
What’s next after ‘I am’?
I am working on a few scripts. But will decide after the release of I AM.