Madhur Bhandarkar has not only received one National Award for Best Director he has been honored with three, most recently for his film Traffic Signal. The director is currently working on Fashion, which stars Priyanka Chopra and he recently talked to the Times of India about the film and other filmi things.
About winning the National Award Bhandarkar said, “It’s like a dream come true for me. I am getting this award for the third time. It’s a great feeling and it’s great to know that people are trying to recognise me as a different filmmaker. I am really very proud of my work. And when I was receiving this award I was very nervous.”
Bhandarkar is known for the reality aspect of his films and he says that is one of the USP’s(unique selling point) of his career, “My movies mirror the society. In a big industry like ours it’s difficult to create a brand name. As I come from a middle class family, I bring my own perception in my films. My characters and my movies come from the people I interact with. It’s important to move out, interact with all kinds of people. One has to research reality to show it on screen.”
Talk then turned to Fashion and Bhandarkar revealed a bit more about the film, “Fashion is a story of things related to the modelling industry. It’s about the experiences of a girl who comes from Chandigarh to Mumbai to become a model. What she goes through and how people use her for their own benefit. I have shown how the designers and others behave with these girls and in reality these things actually happen.”
One scene in Fashion was too real for the Censor board and they made Bhandarkar cut it from the film. “I am a filmmaker who makes films based on real life incidents. What is happening with the middle class families? When I want to show what happens with a model behind the curtains of the ramp, the Censor board stops us from showing all that! And it’s totally unfair. I am very upset and yes, people related with modelling industry are also tense that I have shown something which is real. But I am only showing the truth.”
Of course Bhandarkar did extensive research for the film and he says that the fashion industry like all careers has it drawbacks, “ “Everyone is not perfect. There are two facets in everyone’s life. It depends on who chooses which track. The glamour industry is synonymous with drawbacks. Anything can happen in this industry.”
He is confident that Fashion will strike a note with viewers and that they will come see the film, “Yes, I think if the audience liked Corporate and Page 3, then I am sure they will like Fashion too.”
Be sure to see Fashion when it releases on October 29th!
