Dibakar Banerjee: It becomes gimmicky when rich filmmakers sit in their SUVs and say ‘I will tell the story of a transgender’ – Exclusive | – Times of India
“The only way to ensure that it is not gimmicky is that you have to sit with good script writers, your personal experiences, and research,” Dibakar expressed as we began the conversation.
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Known for his nuanced storytelling and bold narratives, Dibakar emphasized the importance of authenticity in tackling complex subjects. “It becomes gimmicky when rich filmmakers sitting in their SUVs or high-end cars say ‘I will tell the story of a poor person, transgender, folk singer, or a beggar.’ So ye tab hota hai jab goore goore log baith ke kale kale logon ke liye apni kahani banate hai (This happens when fair-skinned people narrate their stories for the dark-skinned population),” he said.
“But when you are standing on the road, your shirt drenched in sweat, you are feeling a quench, you are waiting for your cab and then you see a beggar, or a folk singer, or a transgender who gets into prostitution for a living, it’s on that road, that the distance and gimmicks are reduced,” added the director.
Furthermore, Dibakar Banerjee highlighted the importance of collaborating with writers who share a genuine passion for storytelling, devoid of superficiality, “You also have to select writers who are free from gimmicks. So I reached out to the writers Prateek Vats and Shubham, after watching their film ‘Eeb Allay Ooo’. I told them to help me as I can’t do it alone.”
The process doesn’t end here. “Then, they (the writers) tested whether I was sincere or not, whether I would stay away from Bollywoodgiri or not. Once they were satisfied, we made the film,” concluded Dibakar Banerjee.
