Whether it was communal issues among immigrants in The Buckingham Murders or societal prejudice against the LGBTQ+ community in Aligarh, Hansal Mehta has unapologetically told stories which are commentaries on Indian society. While projects like Scoop and Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story have brought much acclaim to the filmmaker today, he has also been subjected to death threats and protests after films like Dil Pe Mat Le Yaar!! released in the early 2000s.
However, for Hansal Mehta, it is imperative that he brings such social commentaries to light rather than succumb to threats. In an exclusive conversation with News18 Showsha, Hansal Mehta said, “These stories motivate me. Whenever there are hurdles in the journey, it is an opportunity to pick up the threads and start all over again. I see hurdles as a sign that there’s better and bigger things to come. Then I wake up the next morning and say, ‘Okay, it’s time to move on. Start doing what I do best and love most.'”
Hansal Mehta is among the pioneers of Indian cinema who have paved the way for modern-day movies. Mehta made a sex comedy, Yeh Kya Ho Raha Hai? in 2002, much before films like Masti were made. Although Mehta’s film is not among his most-remembered work, films like Grand Masti and Hunterr have a massive following. However, the filmmaker doesn’t dwell on his past filmography.
“I’m glad if someone remembers these films but I don’t dwell much on the past. I don’t think the past is meant to be dwelt upon. It is meant to be learnt from, and it is something that allows you to move on. So I move on. I mean, once the film is out, I believe I’ve done my job and I move on,” he elaborated.
However, the filmmaker is hopeful that the OTT boom will help audiences reconnect with cinema that deserves recognition. Mehta mentioned, “This happened with Faraz. When it was released in cinema halls, no one knew about it. It came and disappeared, but when it appeared on Netflix, it suddenly was trending around the world. For 2 weeks it was trending in the top 10 worldwide. Ultimately, I believe films do find an audience that they deserve.”
“The onus is on the audience. If you want to have the full experience of a film, the audience must visit the cinema halls. How else will cinema survive? Will they be able to see better films and better stories? But eventually, I believe every film has an audience, and it must find its audience, irrespective of where it finds it,” the filmmaker further opined.
Hansal Mehta is now focused on his series about MK Gandhi, starring Pratik Gandhi and Tom Felton (of Harry Potter fame) in key roles. About the film, Mehta said, “Right now, I’m not in a position to give you too much information on that, just that the principal photography was completed last month.” “We are in the thick of post-production, and it is perhaps one of the most ambitious projects I have undertaken. I’m very, very consumed by it currently,” the filmmaker concluded.
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