Dibakar Banerjee Favours Small Budget Films Over Mainstream Cinema: More Expressive, Less Repressed

Dibakar Banerjee, known for making films like Khosla Ka Ghosla, Shanghai and Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar, believes filmmakers shouldn’t worry about getting marginalised in the film industry. The director said that the independence that comes from being on the sidelines helped him come up with diverse movies. Banerjee, considered one of the most astute and politically aware filmmakers of Hindi cinema, has often touched upon social and political evils in his movies. 

Dibakar Banerjee talks about making small-budget films

Banerjee may have worked with well-known stars of Bollywood, be it Abhay Deol, Emraan Hashmi or Arjun Kapoor, but the filmmaker said his films have never belonged to mainstream cinema. “The stars were big, and stars have always been big. And films like mine have always been marginal and we have to accept and celebrate the fact that we are on the margins. Because by being on the margins, you have won your independence."

“By not being mainstream, you have actually acquired the right and the strength to be a little more expressive and less repressed,” Banerjee told PTI in an interview.

The director said the producers are kinder to storytellers who are trying to make small-budget movies. “They’re like, ‘Okay, fine. He is trying something new. We may lose money, but not too much money. And the films will stay on in terms of library value’. In fact, that’s the only reason why somebody like me is surviving. So that marginality has to be accepted and embraced. It’s only by avoiding the mainstream that we can truly be free.” 

Dibakar Banerjee wants to explore taboo themes in movies

According to Banerjee, the current crop of filmmakers is “brimming with talent” but they should be empowered to explore the stories they want to.

“When you see stuff like Paatal Lok, then you know that the talent is all there. But I think if the environment becomes such where you can’t talk about taboos… I can understand not talking about incest but I should be allowed to make a film about incest, without getting trolled and without the fear of my daughter getting threats (online). I think that’s what needs to happen.”

(with inputs from PTI)