'70pc of my films is reality' : Madhur Bhandarkar

While basking in the success of ' Jail' , filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar tells India Blooms correspondent Sreya Basu in Kolkata that his films have always led to a debate and how he has survived them

So, are you enjoying the positive vibes for ' Jail' ?
Yes. People have always expected good films from me. ' Jail' is another eye-opener film and I am happy that people are supporting this film as they have always done from ' Chandni Bar' to ' Fashion' .

You have always made woman-oriented films. ' Jail' is your first film with a male protagonist. So, who do you find more comfortable to handle-a male or a female protagonist?
(Laughs) I think every film has its own value and I have never differentiated a film on the basis of its orientation-that it is a male or a female-oriented one. I always try to pick different subjects for my films. I could have sent a female to ' Jail' , but I felt there are some stories that can be shown from a male' s point-of- view too. I didn' t think too much on this issue…it just struck me that there can be a character called Parag Dixit, who is from a well-to-do family, works in the corporate sector, has a girlfriend… and how one day he suddenly is jailed and the world around changes . So you see, my subject decides which gender it wants for the film, not the other way round.

We have seen a lot of jail scenes in Hindi films, including your film ' Chandni Bar' . But the jail in this film shows prison life in a completely different life. In fact, there are scenes where the audience has got real jolts…
You are right. In Hindi films, jails have always been shown as larger-than-life…the jail scenes are shown in a filmy way. In ' Chandni Bar' , the jail was a juvenile one where the scenes were not very elaborately shown. But in this film, people for the first time are seeing a complete mix of realism and fiction. I have added 70pc realism and 30pc fiction in the film.

Are you saying that all your films are 70pc reality?
Yes…and I think it' s a good combination. We have to take 30pc liberty to add fiction; we can' t let the film look like a documentary since so much money and stakes are involved. So we need to dramatize certain portions…make them look larger-than-life. But 70pc of all my films is reality.

Lata Mangeshkar has sung a bhajan in ' Jail' . She did a Hindi playback after a long time. How did you convince her?
Lyricist Sameer Tandon and I wanted Latadidi to sing the song ' Data shun, maula shun' , but we were a bit apprehensive. We sent her a dummy tape and when she heard the song, at once agreed to sing it for us. And know what, this bhajan is now played at Tihar Jail every morning and evening…so I think it' s a great achievement.

Do you want people to sympathize with the prisoners through this film?
I want people to feel compassionate towards the inmates of jails across the country.

Are you pointing fingers at the deficiencies in the legal system because there is a scene in the film where an inmate is smoking a cigarette and saying it has been two years is in jail and his case is yet to be heard?
This is not a preachy film. As I said, it is a Hindi film, so there is a balance of realism and fiction. The film has been dealt with a lot of properness and dignity and I don' t think the system or anyone is going to feel offended. This is a story from a common man' s point of view-there are misunderstandings that happen every single day and we wanted to show the consequences.

There are real life characters behind all your films. Who has inspired you with the story of ' Jail' ; because after seeing the film, this is a question that' s really haunting audience' s minds?
How can I name a single person when there are many people from whom I have been inspired with the storyline! There were news before the release of the film that the story is that of Sanjeev Nanda and Alistair Pereira. But that' s not right…their story is there…somewhere in legal papers. I mainly picked portions from papers cuttings, legal documents and then added my ideas to it. As I said, neither my films are preachy, nor mirror to the society. I have shown an aspect of jail life…people may or may not agree to it. As it happens with all my films…there' s always a debate. Corporate people said they are not like the ones I have shown them; fashion industry people also said the same. Traffic signal people also complained that they don' t run as big a mafia as I have shown them in my films. But 70pc people agree to my films, saying ' How did you portray such reality on-screen!'

The nude scene in ' Jail' is an attempt to portray realism?
Nude scene is a requirement …I don' t understand if such scenes are shown in English films, world cinema, then where is the problem if you show it in India! Somewhere we have to push the envelope if we want to do different kind of cinema and we did it in a dignified manner. I don' t think a single audience has come out of the theatre saying ' Arre, what the hell was he showing!' If some foreign hero would have done that scene in a foreign film, everyone would have accepted. But in India, you try that out and people start creating unnecessary controversies.

What is the next ' reality' that we are going to see in your forthcoming film?
(Laughs) It has become a topic of discussion…everywhere I go, people start asking me about what I am making next. It' s very difficult for me to say because I am a very restless person and the kind of subjects I take needs instinctive decisions. Right now I don' t have any script and am taking a break. If tomorrow I get an idea, I will start working on it…I am not someone who will first chalk out which actors are available, what film I have to do that will cut well.

There are reports that you are going to make a comedy film?
Not at the moment. But I would love to make one.

Are you happy with your journey as a filmmaker so far?
Very happy…I think I am the only filmmaker who has received critical acclamation, box office success and national awards at the same time. And I am very happy with the kind of films I make

--IBNS