I like doing films that excite me: Zoya Akhtar

New Delhi, Oct 27 : Her debut directorial venture 'Luck By Chance' won rave reviews from film critics for its 'out-of-the-box' treatment and noteworthy performances by its cast includung actor-director Farhan Akhtar and Konkana Sen Sharma.

Talented filmmaker Zoya Akhtar, whose film is being screened at ongoing Osian's Cinefan Film Festival in the capital, feels that flicks with unconventional storylines and with realistic characters as opposed to the larger than life portrayals of films like 'Sholay', have been attempted by filmmakers in every age.

''Good Cinema in India has always been there. If one leaves out the 80s, there have always been people who think out of the box. Rather, it is the audience that has changed. The difference between earlier and now is that the audience today is going out to see realistic and unconventional films like 'Kaminey'.

''Infact, today every model or genres of films has an audience which is why all the realistic films are being made. It is because today they have an audience and hence are able to reap a return,'' Zoya, who was here along with her brother Farhan Akhtar to participate in a NewStream panel discussion on her film, told UNI here.

Asked whether she liked dealing with unconventional subjects, Zoya said as a filmmaker, she likes to do films that excite her.

''I like to do films that excite me and those that have characters that are real and relatable. Though I enjoy films like 'Deewar', I love characters that are really close to you. I do not see people as heroes and villains,'' Zoya said.

She said she drew inspiration from filmmakers like Mani Ratnam, Akira Kurusawa and Martin Scorcese.

The filmmaker said she felt privileged that Osian's Cinefan was featuring her film in the NewsStream section.

''I love Osian's. They really put the price on Asian cinema. Here, you get to see a lot of good films from Asia,''she said.

About her forthcoming ventures, Zoya said that next she was working on a road movie.

''I am working on a coming-of-age road movie about three boys- three boys and a car. Farhan is definitely going to be there in the film. The rest of the cast is still being finalised,'' Zoya said.

--UNI

(c) 2009 Published with permission from United News of India.
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