Rajat Kapoor says real change yet to come in Indian cinema

Acclaimed actor-filmmaker Rajat Kapoor says the Indian cinema is getting more focused on presentation and the projection of realism.

He stars in crowd-funded film Mantra, and is known for his work in films such as Bheja Fry, Dil Chahta Hai, Monsoon Wedding, Midnight’s Children, Corporate and Ankhon Dekhi.

Asked about the changing scenario of Indian cinema that is trying to blur the line between commercial and art cinema, Kapoor said: “In my humble opinion, it is a very cosmetic change in current mainstream cinema. Some consciousness has come in terms of production designing, projecting realism, and presentation. However, the real change comes from a bigger belief.

“Though we are making films which are better than those of 1980s, 1990s, but are we making films as good as of the 1950s era? Back then, we could make films like Pyaasa, Devdas, Bandini and Ganga Jamuna at an absolute commercial space. Are we making films as good as that?” Kapoor questioned.

In Mantra, releasing in India on March 17, Kapoor plays an industrialist. Kalki Koechlin, Shiv Pandit, Adil Hussain and Lushin Dubey are also part of the film.

Giving an insight into his character, Kapoor said: “As the film is set in the 1990s during the time of liberalisation, this man has a business which is in danger of going bankrupt. On the other hand, he keeps everything inside him bottled up.

“That creates a lot of emotional turmoil for him as well as people around him. So it is an emotional journey of how he keeps the family and his business together.”

Born and brought up in Delhi, Kapoor started his career in theatre and slowly moved to cinema. He begum his acting career with the film Khayal Gatha in 1989, followed by his first 26-minute documentary Tarana, which he directed.

In 2003, Rajat made a film named Raghu Romeo, which bagged an Indian National Film Award for best feature film in Hindi.

He has achieved a lot in cinema, but theatre remains his first love.

“I think that [theatre] keeps me going. I keep writing and travelling with my plays to various theatre festivals. In the last three years, I wrote three scripts and produced plays.

“This process keeps me sane I guess, otherwise I would have shot myself long time back [laughs],” he said.