Shekhar Kapur: Failures secret to his success

Jinal Shah/SATimes: He said no to a career as chartered accountant in his mid 20s. Trading off number crunching in the UK for acting in Bollywood and on small screen in India also didn’t do him any good. It was only when he ‘crossed the line’ to behind the camera that he found his calling in films.

His journey to find the ‘nebulous’ and walking hand in hand with ‘failure’ was his secret to success.

Today more than two dozen films to his credit, Shekhar Kapur is the most established director and producer both in Bollywood and internationally, but when asked what motivated him to join films, he said, “Because I was a bad chartered accountant I am a filmmaker. I am terrible at mathematics, as a CA my balance sheets never matched but I knew I had visual instincts.”

Kapur, currently working on his new venture ‘Paani’ in India, was a guest at the first ever conversation series held by the South Asian International Film Festival on Nov 12. The film maker discussed his evolution from an unsuccessful chartered accountant and film actor to a successful director and also his magical journey from Bollywood to Hollywood. The conversation – part of the five day film festival that showcased 19 films – was attended by budding film makers, media and just curious fans.

Of his struggles and triumphs, Kapur highlighted his experience as a debutant director for the coming-of-age movie Masoom (1983). “To date, this is my best film. Budgeted at about $ 20,000 as opposed to the $ 50 million I have done, the movie touched my heart for the simple reason that there was naivety. I was naïve, I knew nothing and all I wanted was to tell a story. The lack of any knowledge of the techniques of film making and the complete instinctiveness helped me,” said Kapur adding modestly, “I wish I had gone to a film school, I wish I could go now,” to which the audience broke into peals of laughter.

His transition from India to Hollywood was smooth in terms of directing a big budget film, however Kapur admitted that he tried to retain his naivety and creative independence but could not do so. “When I was called to direct Elizabeth I was told the budget was $ 24 million which was huge. But money is an irrelevant concept. Despite the money I couldn’t do things that I could easily do in India. I even had to drop scenes. Further, if everything is rounded up in the figures, creativity is lost. So when the production team came to my office for negotiating the budget I had a sign printed behind me stating ‘money is the biggest joke perpetuated against man,” said Kapur. Not drifting from his modest tone he added, “Producers often ask, ‘when is he going back to India, he should stay there.’ I do try and get fired every time.”

Kapur, now 65, admitted that dancing and music-two most essential elements of Bollywood-help carry the message to the audience. In the movie Elizabeth, this form helped him retain the naivety. “There was a big discussion with all producers and writers on how to introduce Elizabeth in the film. When I was asked I said ‘she is dancing!’ and suddenly everybody looked at me with huge clouds of doubt and said oh no Bollywood! but I gave her a reason to dance-she is learning dancing. She looked vulnerable, looked like a girl in love and moreover it looked like destiny was about to take over in life. These emotions would not have been expressed in words.”

Regarded as king of queens especially after making powerful films on women — Phoolan Devi that won him international recognition as well as controversy and Academy award winner Elizabeth, one would think he is in control of what he is doing. Kapur differs. “On my way to the sets I try and create panic because if I am not panicked I am uncomfortable. I tell myself today is the day the world will find that I have been conning the world for 24 years. I don’t really know my job. And sometimes if that doesn’t work I listen to Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s music- completely chaotic music but in some way there is harmony in that chaos. ”

To the first time film directors who romanticize about the sets only to be hit by reality that directors are mere managers, Kapur said, “You as a director have to be vulnerable and go through every emotion the actor is going through or the technician is going through. In simple words, a director has to squeeze the essence out which is exhilarating and how many exhilarations do you go through in life, that’s the reason why I am not making films that often,”

When asked about Bollywood and the trend of big budget films, he reverted, “Currently the problem in India is that Indian cinema is separated into two kinds. This divide is due to multiplexes, they are losing out on 90 percent of audiences who cannot afford to buy a multiplex movie and hence forced to watch dubbed Hollywood films”.

Having directed India’s first popular science fiction film Mr India – a cult classic-Kapur promptly retorted to a question on why there are not enough sci-fi movies in India, “Sci-fi is used for fantasy — a man becomes a superman. In India all heroes fly- Have you seen Salman Khan fighting or for that matter all south Indian actors.

He also touched upon his forthcoming film Panni. “Panni is a film on a city that runs out of water and how the city breaks into water woes. I had pitched in this idea 15 years back but people smiled at me and said – socially conscious director how about doing a next super hero story. However now people are more socially aware and want me to do the film before someone else does it. Currently I am looking for finance for the film.”

Before ending the conversation Kapur narrated an interesting anecdote from his life – “I never lost hope in life. After convincing my parents for a career in acting, when they first came to see me I assured them that I am doing well. But the fact was I was going around with one of the big stars at that time that was my only claim to fame. However the posters said a different story. One of the Stardust posters read ‘The biggest loser in town’ but I didn’t lose hope.”