Kolkata, Nov 7 (PTI) Veteran film director Ramesh Sippy on Friday called upon film students to follow their hearts to raise their dreams.
Delivering the keynote Satyajit Ray Memorial Lecture at the 31st Kolkata International Film Festival here, Sippy, the director of blockbuster Sholay, vouched for “good, entertaining, powerful cinema.”.
“I appreciate art films, I appreciate commercial films…..Goutam Ghosh has his own kind of cinema, and I have my own kind of cinema. Everyone must have their choice as people who are waiting (for good cinema) know even more, they understand and appreciate a very nice film which appeals to them,” he said during the lecture to a packed audience at the Sisir Manch here.
“Women like more emotion, men more drama and together as an audience, men, women, youngsters all like a nice combination,” Sippy, the maker of Sholay, Seeta Aur Geeta, Shaan, Shakti and Saagar, among others, said.
Recalling that it took 23 days to perfect one particular sequence of Sholay, he exhorted the aspiring filmmakers to “follow your own path, see good films, and get inspired by them.
Recalling how he was fastidious about authenticating his scenes with the able help and support and suggestion of a team, Sippy said as captain of the ship, the director must be of the view that “it is your scene and once you get the scene in mind, it is well worth it.
Prophesying about the great future of feature films meant for screening, he said, “You have to make the film for today’s audiences. Today’s audience goes to theatres and buy expensive tickets. So you will have to cater to them as well.
“Don’t think the time of cinema is over. I am sure it will continue to find its place, screens, sound, and cinema that you love cannot go away. I don’t think cinema is dead, if there are good films, the audiences will be back. As actors, directors, musicians, I have to thank the audience for loving cinema,” the veteran director said.
“If you have a beautiful combination of commerce and arts you have a good film,” Sippy said, crediting Bengali film stalwarts Satyajit Ray, Mrinal Sen, Ajoy Kar, Tapan Sinha and others representing different genres from mainstream to arthouse and middle of the road.
“Watching Bengali films, you get the wonderful feeling of cinema, that’s what I learnt from Bengali cinema,” he said.
Pointing out that education in cinema is important, he called upon the enthusiasts to become a student of cinema “if he has that instinct.
Observing “markets have their own behaviour,” he said, “you have to re-adjust to the market…I think financiers, producers, directors, they also join and change as things change.
To the observation made by an audience member that ‘Seven Samurai’ by Akira Kurosawa was the inspiration behind making Sholay, Sippy said, “Kurosawa made a wonderful film which inspired Magnificent Seven. I was inspired by Magnificent Seven, and then I came to know that Magnificent Seven was inspired by Kurosawa.” To a question about the theme of harmony and unity exemplified in his films, including Sholay, Sippy said, “We as a country have shown it (the message of harmony among all religions) for the last 75- 85 years.” “We are proud to be so; we are a democracy in the true sense,” he asserted.
Asked if he had any projects ready for Bengal, he said, “I did make a reference to it yesterday. I would be quite happy to find some proposal which might work in making of a project with Mumbai and Bengal people. Let there be a right kind of film and the right kind of subject appealing to audiences.” PTI SUS RG
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