If you love goddess of cinema well, she will love you back: Sudhir Mishra on his filmmaking rule

New Delhi: She saved my life and she is everything to me, says filmmaker Sudhir Mishra describing his relationship with "the goddess of cinema", who continues to guide him in his creative endeavours.

The director, known for critically-acclaimed films such as "Yeh Woh Manzil To Nahin", "Is Raat Ki Subah Nahin", "Chameli" and "Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi", said he has only one rule in life -- to never disrespect the "lovely energy called cinema".

"The goddess of cinema saved my life, she is everything to me. A lot of people don't understand this. I often get mad and angry on a set, but I believe it is sacrilegious to upset the goddess of cinema. I wouldn't be alive if she wasn't there. If you love her well, then she will love you back. That's the only rule I follow," Mishra told PTI in an interview.

"I haven't been to cheap schools, I haven't got any third rate Facebook coach teaching me about content... I just follow the 'dharma' of storytelling and respect this lovely energy called cinema. And if you respect it, then you become a better person and you find out more about yourself," he added.

The Lucknow-born filmmaker may appear busy with his OTT show "Tanaav", whose second season started streaming on SonyLIV earlier this month, but he hopes to return to movies soon as that's where his passion lies.

"I approach every film like it is my first film. I want to have another 50 years as a filmmaker, even though I know it is not possible. I will continue to make films as I'm as modern as any young person... I don't have kids, so I don't get scared by young people, I respect them, have a friendship and work with them. I'm in the field as long as I'm alive," he said.

The challenge, however, is to come up with new concepts and then get financial backing to turn it into a movie, said Mishra, also known for co-writing cult classic movie "Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron".

"It is always difficult to make a film which is somewhat new and has no precedent. Aap kya bana raho, arey wo 'Stree' bani thi, main waisi hi horror film bana raha hu. (What are you making, 'Oh, I'm making a horror film like 'Stree'.) That is a simple thing to do.

"It is always difficult to make something different, uske liye funding milna mushkil hota hai (It is difficult to get funding for that)." Mishra, 65, said a writer who can pen scripts well will never face any issue in coming up with interesting ideas.

"If you're a storyteller and you can write well, then you will be able to make a good film. In the age of AI and all, those who don't know how to write a good script, they will face difficulty," he added.

Citing the example of the Kerala film industry where top stars like Mammootty are doing edgy films like "Kaathal: The Core" and many first-time directors and actors are also flourishing with their stories, the director said the scene is quite different in Mumbai, the home to Hindi cinema.

"I was the head of jury for Kerala State Film Awards (for the year 2023) and I saw 35 amazing films. If you go to Kerala, you think cinema is well analysed... And if I take that experience as an example, then cinema is doing great.

"In Mumbai, there are a lot of talented young people who are skilled and they should be given the opportunity to explore themselves. But the attempt is to always control, with budgets, what works, what doesn't and what is new. Sometimes that tension is justified and leads to a good film and (sometimes it doesn't)." "Tanaav", the Indian adaptation of the popular Israeli show "Fauda", is set in Kashmir and people there just want to live in peace, therefore, the exploration had to be more sensitive.

"It is a wonderful place, not just in terms of topography or landscapes, but also its people who want to live in peace and harmony. You have to be gentler in adaptation. You have to be more compassionate and tread carefully.

"It is also an adaptation in a kind of an emotional tale. It's a tale of choices, relationships and collateral damages of women, who lose on both sides. I tell people who love 'bang bang bang' stuff to watch 'Tanaav' because it is not 'bang bang bang'," he added.

The second season of "Tanaav" brings back the original cast of Manav Vij, Arbaaz Khan, Rajat Kapoor and Satyadeep Mishra. It is backed by Applause Entertainment.

In the second season, Kabir (Vij) and the Special Task Group (STG) return to action when a young man seeking vengeance emerges as a formidable threat.

Mishra shares the directing duties for season two with filmmaker E Niwas.

According to the director, the USP of "Tanaav" is that it shows characters in their "greys and in the context of their problems".

"If you're not sensational, if you deliberately don't attempt to sensationalise or if someone doesn't want to make you a scapegoat for his/her agenda, then I don't think controversies happen... It is the same attempt in the second season as well."