Trust filmmaker Sudhir Mishra to express himself straight from the heart – be it films or real-life lessons. A true-blue Lucknowite, he advocates following the rich tehzeeb-tameez the city is known for but cautions against blind obedience in the name of respect.
“You should not accept everything just because an elder has said it. Yeh aadar bhi bahut hi ajeeb cheez hai! You should respect, touch their feet, but also express yourself when required – respectfully, like saying, ‘Chacha, yeh baat to aap galat keh rehe hain!’” said the 66-year-old filmmaker during a session at the Metaphor Lucknow LitFest on Saturday.
During the interactive session, he said, “Tameez is when you don’t use bad language and ask questions politely. We need to bring back that Lucknow which asks questions, is confident, and curious. Otherwise, you just become a museum piece! That is the Lucknow I have known.”
Sudhir, who has also tried his hand in acting, strongly advocates taking up the craft at an early age. “I would recommend acting to everyone, as it gives you self-confidence. It allows you to state things. Acting cured me of my shyness. It is very liberating,” he said.
He added, “In schools, you do therapy through theatre. If you encourage that, children will be able to find themselves and express their issues. If you want to discover a child, you can do it in a theatre class.”
The filmmaker continued, “See, like a swan, everyone needs to find their water, and that can only happen by doing. Today, it is far easier to find yourself. If you want to direct, then shoot on a phone, get friends to act, shoot, edit, and show your work to the world with the help of technology.”
He agreed that mainstream films today often feature too much violence but disagreed that good films are not being made.
“Yes, mainstream cinema is becoming too sensational, but that does not mean good films aren’t being made. Watch the films from Kerala; they are amazing. So many small-budget and independent films are being made. The only issue is they struggle to find space in theatres. To change that, people need to watch good films in theatres or wherever they can, and create space for community viewing!”
While he admires legendary filmmakers from Indian and world cinema, he is also highly impressed with the younger generation, naming Anurag Kashyap and Payal Kapadia.
In his parting thoughts, he said, “AI is very helpful for research and sharpening your skills, but if you give it prompts to write a story or create content for you, then you are lost! Also, social media numbers do not determine everything… if you are good, you will find your way!”
