What drove you to mix two themes as varied as My Big Fat Greek Wedding and Shawn of the Dead and come up with It’s a Wonderful Afterlife?
I wanted to make a cult movie. I have always liked doing something different, breaking new territories and venturing into a whole new area. I had trouble finding financiers for Bend It like Beckham because many thought that a story on a British Indian girl wanting to play football like her idol would have no audience appeal. I love making movies based in my community incorporating their specific traits and eccentricities. Shabana Azmi’s character in this movie is one of a kind. Shabana or any other actress has never portrayed a role like this before.
After Mistress of Spices starring Aishwarya Rai, you directed Angus Thongs and Perfect Snogging and a segment of Paris, I Love You. Both of the mentioned films were hardly promoted in India. Why has it become a trend that NRI directors promote only their Indian-themed films in India and not the others?
It is a tragedy. Actually, it is all up to the distributors. I kept asking Paramount to promote the movie in India, but they did not listen. There is a certain perception that only movies with Indian actors will pull the crowds in India. What probably isn’t understood is that Indian audience is open to new ideas and themes and such movies should be promoted heavily here. Angus Thongs and Perfect Snogging is a sweet movie about falling in love. I am sure the Indian audience would have loved it.
Light-hearted comedies with an all-round appeal are your forte. What is the reason behind your decision to make an epic historical drama on Partition adapted from ‘Freedom at Midnight’?
I wanted to make a film which explored this aspect of Indian history. My ancestors are from India, but they ended up in East Africa. I wanted to look into how I landed up abroad. I also want to delve into some crucial questions like whose interests were being served when the decision on Partition was made.
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