Vivek Agnihotri REVEALS The Dark Truth about The Bengal Files | Table for Two

Here’s the full episode of Table for Two – Episode 7 featuring acclaimed filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri — the mind behind The Tashkent Files, The Kashmir Files, and the upcoming The Bengal Files.

In this unfiltered conversation, Agnihotri dives into adolescence and sex education in India, opens up about his Files Trilogy, and shares his candid thoughts on World cinema, Nepotism, Bollywood, society, and controversy.

Chapters:

0:00 Introduction and Overview
1:45 Vivek Agnihotri on Adolescence and Sex Education in India
8:30 The Making of The Bengal Files
15:20 Reflections on The Kashmir Files and The Tashkent Files
22:50 Vivek's Views on World Cinema
28:10 Discussion on Nepotism in Bollywood
32:45 Society, Controversies, and Public Perception

Credits:
Host: Shizaa Arshad Khan
Direction & Production: Gouri Prabhakar
Cinematography: PK Photography & Team
HMU: Ankita Ingale
Editors: George C Alex
Editorial Head: Sunita Iyer

Watch now & join the conversation. Don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe to Asianet News for more exclusive sit-downs with India’s most influential voices.

#TableForTwo #VivekAgnihotri #TheBengalFiles #KashmirFiles #SexEducation #AsianetNews #IndianCinema #PallaviJoshi #NepotismInBollywood #Premiere #entertainmentnews #bollywoodnews

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Transcript

00:00The Bengal Files, what message are you trying to give through that?

00:03You have just seen what happened in Belva.

00:05You believe it because you are seeing it.

00:07Muhammad Ali Jinn, a Muslim league, gave a call to kill as many people as possible in Calcutta in two days.

00:13And 40,000 people were killed.

00:15I don't know why, under what circumstances, we covered up all the violent history of India.

00:21I'm a storyteller, all I can do is create a film and tell the story.

00:25Do you think that you get the right amount of support from the Hindi cinema industry?

00:29I just walk alone and I don't care about who is supporting or not.

00:34People are not going and watching films in the theatres.

00:37We have stopped making good films.

00:39Chaba kaisi chaliyya bhi itani.

00:403, 2 bhi chali.

00:42Bhuul Bulaiya bhi chali.

00:43Laapatha ladies.

00:44So they are making movies which are not catering to any kind of an audience.

00:48A lot of South Indian films have also sort of done very good business.

00:52No, that's not true.

00:53Good film has no borders.

00:55I don't watch OTT shows.

00:57I watch adolescents.

00:59I like people who address themes which are affecting us today.

01:03Sex education should be a part of curriculum in India?

01:06Personally if you ask me.

01:08Nepotism debate has been going on for a very long time.

01:10Nepotism is when you are a doctor and your son is a plumber.

01:15And now you are doing surgery.

01:17Define yourself in three words.

01:19I would say.

01:20Ummm.

01:38Hello Vivek sir.

01:39It's a pleasure having you on Table for Two by Asianet News Network.

01:44And I am really glad that you came here to talk to us.

01:47So am I.

01:48It's so wonderful talking to you.

01:50Yeah.

01:51Over food.

01:52What can be better?

01:53About your upcoming film, The Bengal Files.

01:55What message are you trying to give through that?

01:57So you have just seen what happened in Pahlvam.

02:00Okay.

02:01That's real.

02:02You believe it because you are seeing it.

02:04In the past we don't believe that human, humans can be so cruel.

02:09So what happened during partition?

02:11The entire partition happened of India because Muhammad Ali Jinnah Muslim League gave a call to kill as many people as possible in Calcutta in two days.

02:25And 40,000 people were killed.

02:28And that's where the foundation of the real partition was laid.

02:32Okay.

02:33Now today people don't even know about Direct Action Day.

02:35Do you know about Direct Action Day?

02:36Not really.

02:37No.

02:38See, so Direct Action Day is like Holocaust.

02:41Can you imagine any Jew not knowing about Holocaust?

02:44Holocaust.

02:45Of course.

02:46Right?

02:47Yeah.

02:48Would you know?

02:49I mean, people generally are taught their history.

02:52People remember their history.

02:54People understand their history.

02:55Like Germany.

02:56If you ever go to Germany, you will find that Germany is so conscious of this thing.

03:01So they do not let anybody spread any hate, any violence.

03:04And they are very, very sensitive about humanity and respecting people and not disrespecting each other.

03:13Because they remember their history.

03:15Problem with India is that our history, I don't know why, under what circumstances, we covered up all the violent history of India.

03:24That's why you see in this country, nobody cares about anybody's life.

03:28It's so easy.

03:29People can, if you are a girl, you would know it.

03:32It's so easy for any, the dignity of life, value of life, right to life.

03:37Okay.

03:38People kill each other.

03:39There are so many riots.

03:40That communal violence in Kashmir has been going on for so many decades.

03:45We have got used to being inhuman.

03:48Yes.

03:49You know?

03:50And that is happening because we have not taught and not told people what happens when such communal violence takes place.

03:58Especially religious violence.

04:00Yes.

04:01Okay.

04:02So this film, I want to bring back to the memory of people, this uncovered dark secrets, the dark truth of Indian history, why partition took place.

04:11And it raises the question whether 80 years after independence, do we still have religious communal violence or we have stopped it because of the partition.

04:24The whole argument about the partition was that if we do partition, there will be no criminal violence after that.

04:30Correct?

04:31Yes.

04:32The argument was that everybody will have dignity of life, value of life and we have right to life, which our constitution provides.

04:39But you tell me, do you have dignity of life?

04:42Do you have value of life in this country?

04:45No, it's not.

04:47Okay.

04:48It's true.

04:49It's a reason for the practical and bipolar revolution that's the whole thing.

04:50It's also a matter of our position and the other people who tried to do it.

04:54That's why we want to do it.

04:55It's said you can do it.

04:56So you can do it.

04:57It's the idea that I think it's a good idea because it is something that's a good idea.

05:00You can go there that's a good idea and you can use it.

05:01But I think, if you've done it as a good idea of them.

05:02It's hard to do it.

05:03This is not the idea you have done.

05:04Not the idea of today's speech that's it in the Washington Post, like I think it's a good idea.

05:07And if you've done it in the country, you know, it's a good idea of what you have done.

05:13I've never done it.

05:14I've done it.

05:16Yes.

05:17killed is another thing but people are being killed and we have a free uh society free country but we

05:22have no right to life we have no today so therefore this film is a very important film

05:31for india anybody who believes in india anybody who believes in humanity it's a very very important

05:38lesson and it's a very courageous film because it opens that dark chapter of the history which

05:44nobody wants us to know like kashmir yes kashmir opened up the eyes so a lot of people said

05:53but what happened in palgaum is that propaganda right what hamas did in october what happens

06:01after that is another debatable thing that's another thing but somebody is killing now these

06:08people are terrorists these people are empowered by politicians they're empowered by the politics

06:16to change that politics to to to stop this communal violence is very important that the younger

06:24generation like you is made aware when you see the horror when you see the terror of this then only you

06:30say oh my god this should not happen then you speak up and you fight for it and you said should not happen

06:36yes right like crime against women only when you see in reality the crime against women you get so

06:44scared you say no no this can happen to my uh sister my daughter my wife my mother therefore it should be

06:50stopped you don't care nobody cares actually and the sad reality is that these violence or as you said

06:59communal violence have been happening for so long that people are getting used to it now now like

07:05recently uh you know the palgam incident happened very sad incident obviously the whole country united

07:12but it shouldn't have been the case the country should not unite on the basis of

07:17the whole country is coming together speaking against terrorists and everything it should be like

07:24people should be aware right very rightly said that you know people should be aware about the history maybe

07:28that's how they will you know uh wake up and speak on the issues because as citizens of india you are

07:36responsible you can't just say that you know oh i'm not politically inclined i don't have opinions

07:41you can't say that no i don't think so if somebody is not politically inclined why should anybody have

07:47an opinion on that thing but you should be aware of your surroundings what's happening that's why

07:52that's why that's what i'm saying that's why you need vivek agnihottis who can make these films to make

07:57people aware my films are about awareness yeah they are about creating conversations yeah and they're

08:03about people taking action and making sure that it doesn't happen in the future religious fundamentalism

08:10is the biggest curse of humanity because of that in last 5000 years of human history

08:18there has not been even a single day when there was no war on this earth okay people have been killing

08:25each other for religious fundamentalism india was one of the most peaceful places in the world

08:31historically speaking before the invasion of india by the um uh foreigners mughals or the colonial british

08:41british before that india had not seen violence based on religious fundamentalism so now after

08:48partition we thought this will stop but it has not stopped pakistan claimed that partition is an

08:54unfinished project and they have been doing it non-stop so i think it's high time so i'm a storyteller

09:01all i can do is create a film and tell the story yeah sir uh so talking about you like let's say bengal

09:09files okay for example uh because it's an upcoming film so we'll stick to that for now coming to the

09:15industry so uh do you think that you get the right amount of support from the hindi cinema industry

09:20uh

09:26uh

09:32I just walk alone and I don't care about

09:35who support or who doesn't do it.

09:37And obviously,

09:38industry's,

09:39which is Bollywood,

09:41industry is very big,

09:42but Bollywood type of thinking is

09:44its own thoughts.

09:45They make a style of film.

09:47So when non-star film hits,

09:50they don't understand how to do a director's

09:53tariff as they can do it.

09:54Because people have used to study stars'

09:56tariff.

09:57So they don't think

09:58that a star can make a film hit.

09:59So when back-to-back Tashkandh files

10:03and Kashmir files

10:04some people must have felt

10:07threatened that

10:08it's not going to be a non-starrer film

10:11hit.

10:13So I didn't see a non-starrer film

10:16that I was afraid of.

10:20The reason was that

10:21the kind of films I am making,

10:23these stars can't do it.

10:26They just cannot do it.

10:27Because how will they do it?

10:28They are so stuck in their images

10:30and their lifestyle

10:31and their PR

10:33and all those kind of things.

10:34First, I demolish you as a person.

10:37I demolish you.

10:38Whatever you are,

10:39I just destroy you.

10:40And then I recreate

10:41my character out of you.

10:44So who's willing to get destroyed?

10:46So unless and until they do it.

10:48And I seriously don't care

10:50who supports me or not.

10:51Okay.

10:51So we're talking about

10:52the industry only.

10:53Now you see

10:54there has been a massive downfall

10:57of the whole industry.

10:59I would say

10:59people are not going and watching

11:02films in the theatres.

11:03What we expect

11:04is that there are so many stars

11:05who are not doing as well

11:08at the box office.

11:09They are not doing as well.

11:10And it's been going on

11:12for the past 1-2 years, right?

11:14Post-Covid, I would say.

11:16So what do you think, sir?

11:17Is it like an internal

11:19industry problem?

11:21Like is there something

11:22wrong with the industry?

11:23Or is it generally

11:25that people have now

11:26started relying on OTT?

11:27No, it's not.

11:28If you're sitting here,

11:29if you're always coming

11:31in a restaurant,

11:32suddenly they start

11:33serving you bad food.

11:34Or you're eating

11:35late,

11:36and the chef's

11:37has so much ego

11:38that you're going

11:39to come here.

11:40When do you come here?

11:41The problem is

11:42we have stopped

11:42serving good food.

11:44We have stopped

11:44making good films.

11:46How many films are going?

11:47Right?

11:48How many films are going?

11:48I think there are

11:503, 2,

11:52Bool, Bulia

11:53and I think there are

11:53such films.

11:54There are no other

11:56subjects.

11:56There are no other

11:56subject.

11:57There are no horror.

11:57There are no comedy.

11:58There are no historical.

12:00So films on different

12:01subjects work.

12:03The problem is

12:04How do you see a little film from La Pata Ladies?

12:07Yes.

12:08Right?

12:09Yes.

12:10So, people go to cinema.

12:11You make good films.

12:12People go to cinema.

12:13But if you underestimate the audience and you think the audience is stupid, I can make

12:18anything and they will come to see only because there is a star who has been a star.

12:24All these stars have been stars.

12:26They are not stars today.

12:27It's not that people want to buy tickets and go and see their film.

12:32Human beings always like to see new things.

12:35Different things.

12:36Things you don't know.

12:37These people understand the audience.

12:40They think we have to deliver what they already know.

12:44What they already liked.

12:45Right?

12:46So, if I am here and I am here and I am here to eat this food and I am unhealthy.

12:50I will eat this one or two times.

12:52When will I eat this?

12:53Right?

12:54So, they are serving unhealthy, taste less.

12:57And, there is a chitri to whomsoever it is concerned.

13:01In the office, nobody knows who it is.

13:04So, they are making movies which are not catering to any kind of an audience.

13:08It's just to whomsoever it may concern kind of a cinema.

13:11So, now, see a lot of South Indian films have also sort of done very good business.

13:17No, that's not true.

13:18Some of them.

13:19Some of them.

13:20Some of them.

13:21They always used to do.

13:22Like, Kantara was a very good film.

13:23So, it did very well.

13:24Nobody expected.

13:25But they always used to do.

13:26Not a big deal.

13:27But in North India, this is the RRR.

13:29Yeah.

13:30Big business.

13:31Big box office business, you know.

13:33And then KGF.

13:34KGF2.

13:35Right?

13:36So, these kind of films.

13:37So, in a way, like, a lot of people are now trying to, like, I think they've seen that South Indian films work.

13:44So, maybe that's why they're trying to do more action films here in volleyball.

13:47No.

13:48And Kashmir Files worked in Kerala and Tamil Nadu and all these places.

13:51So, when I go to South, they say, see.

13:53Now, Hindi films are working here very well.

13:55In Kerala, our film ran.

13:57I mean, it was taken away from the theatre.

13:59Then, people would have to play.

14:01So, it's not like that.

14:02There's a good film anywhere.

14:03Everybody sees it.

14:04How do you see films like Parasite?

14:06How do you see all these international cinema, the world cinema?

14:09How do you, like, why do you like Korean cinema?

14:13Why do you like Iranian cinema?

14:15You like them.

14:16A good film has no borders.

14:18Okay?

14:19And has no language.

14:20Yes.

14:21The only language is humanity.

14:23And that's a universal language.

14:25So, I don't agree with all these things.

14:28South.

14:29And it's an unnecessary debate we are creating.

14:31It has no meaning.

14:32Totally zero meaning.

14:33Rajni Kant was popular in India.

14:36Kamala Hassan was popular.

14:37India means North India.

14:38Kamala Hassan was popular in North India.

14:40Shri Devi came from North India.

14:41Oh, sorry.

14:42South India.

14:43Hema Malini came from South India.

14:44Jaya Prada came from South India.

14:45Meenakshi Shishadri.

14:46So many people have come.

14:47So many people have come.

14:48And Virashmi's mandana is doing so good.

14:50Okay, reverse.

14:51There are all North India's heroines in Telugu films.

14:53Yes.

14:54So, it will go.

14:55And A.R. Rahman has been doing music for Hindi films.

14:58Nobody said, okay, suddenly South Indian music is going.

15:01It's not South Indian.

15:02So, I don't agree with this debate.

15:03So, I don't know what to say on this.

15:07But do you think that the Hindi film industry could learn something from the, let's say, the Telugu film industry or the Tamil film industry?

15:14You think that the Telugu film industry or the Tamil film industry is very good and the Hindi film industry is not good.

15:19You know, there are some nepotism.

15:21There are only 2-3-4 families in the industry.

15:25So that I know and it's very hard to break in as an outsider.

15:28I don't agree with this that Telugu, we should learn from this.

15:32We should learn from this.

15:33We should learn from this.

15:34We should learn from this.

15:35We should learn from this.

15:36We should learn from our lives.

15:37We should learn from our good work.

15:38So, that's all.

15:39You make good cinema, nobody has to learn anything.

15:41People have to learn only to make good cinema.

15:44Actors have to learn to do good acting.

15:46Music people have to learn to do good music.

15:49Writers have to learn to write good scripts.

15:52That's all.

15:53That's all you need to learn.

15:55You don't need to learn from anybody else.

15:57Do you like any film recently that released recently or last year?

16:04I generally don't discuss what I like in public.

16:07I like many films.

16:09And it's not that everybody has to agree with that.

16:13I liked Laapta ladies.

16:15And I wrote about it a lot.

16:17I wrote about it.

16:18I liked it.

16:19I liked it for the simplicity and direction.

16:22I liked it for the theme.

16:24It was beautiful.

16:26The characters.

16:27The girls who acted in it.

16:29And Ravi Kishan also did a good job.

16:32So Kiran had told me about this film.

16:35One or two years ago we were traveling in a plane.

16:38So I was sitting with it.

16:40And they told me about it.

16:41Kiran Rao.

16:42Of course.

16:43Your director.

16:44Kiran Rao.

16:45But I didn't know that this film will be so good.

16:47I liked that.

16:48It was beautifully portrayed.

16:49Yeah.

16:50Very beautifully portrayed.

16:51I forget the names.

16:52But there are lots of South Indian films.

16:54Malayalam films.

16:55I've liked a couple of them.

16:56There were Marathi films.

16:58Rohingya Tanggadi.

16:59All these sisters were there.

17:00That was a brilliant film.

17:01I really liked that film.

17:03So do you enjoy regional films?

17:04Of course.

17:05I watch all.

17:06I don't think about it.

17:07I just watch films.

17:10And do you watch international films?

17:13Of course.

17:14Any specific film that you like?

17:17See the thing is.

17:18It's for youngsters to say.

17:21This is my list of three.

17:23There are lots of films I see.

17:25And I don't watch movies.

17:27First of all, I can't see everything.

17:28I can't see them.

17:29I can't see them.

17:30I can't see them.

17:32I can't see them.

17:33And I've seen them.

17:35I can't see them.

17:36And then I can take them.

17:37And then I can decide what's good.

17:38I know exactly what to eat.

17:39So I go to a bookshop.

17:40I know exactly which books I am going to.

17:42I know.

17:43I do my research.

17:44So I watch only those movies.

17:46Which matter to me.

17:48Which I know that I'm going to appreciate.

17:50And like them.

17:51I can see them.

17:52So I can't see them.

17:53Because I don't watch OTT shows for many days. So I watched adolescence.

17:59The reason I watched it is because I knew that there is something to take away from it.

18:03So if there is nothing to take away from a film, then I generally don't watch it.

18:07Did you like it?

18:08Yeah, of course. But the theme is so wonderful. I mean, this is a theme. See, why I liked it?

18:13Because I like people who address themes which are affecting us today, now.

18:19Cinema is such a great medium. Cinema can really, really influence the society and change, create awareness.

18:29It can't create policies, but sometimes it does. Like in case of Kashmir Files, Yasin Malik was arrested.

18:34He's behind the bars. So many cases reopened. I like that.

18:39So cinema has that power only if you use it as a powerful medium.

18:44Today, what is the biggest crisis of the world? Young minds.

18:49Young minds are getting affected because of the algorithms, the dangerous algorithms of social media.

18:56To pick up that subject and do it so delicately where you show the human side of it.

19:03Okay, this, this, this machoism, this toxic. Okay, this vulgar display of machoism.

19:10Where is it coming from? This hate and violence from these algorithms.

19:14Because algorithms promote that. So children are becoming the victims.

19:18Now adolescence is not coming at 13 or 14. It started coming at 10, 10 years, 8 years.

19:24And believe you me, next few years, in 3, 4, 5 years, adolescence will start at 5 or 6 years.

19:30Because when a child is born, he is given a phone. And the minute you have access to phone, you are exposed to the world.

19:36What is adolescence? When you start getting exposed to the world.

19:39When you are not in the, protected in the shield of your parents and a very, you know, when you are not vulnerable.

19:46You start seeing things and you start questioning what is happening. When you are awareness about your sexuality, you are aware of the other person's sexuality.

19:55You know, that's when adolescence begins. Because of the exposure levels and that is coming early.

20:03But the exposure is not coming about what is this universe? What is science? Why am I here? What is good?

20:10It is basically coming about sex, crime, hate, violence, greed, desire. That's what is happening.

20:18So do you think that, in your opinion, do you think that sex education should be a part of curriculum in India?

20:26Of course, sex education should be part of our curriculum. And besides that, people should be free to talk about sex freely.

20:34You know, it's like, don't we talk about food freely because it's a hunger. Yeah. Right. So sex is also part of hunger.

20:41It's a natural creation. People should know because if you won't do that, it becomes taboo. It becomes a perversion.

20:47And I personally, if you ask me, I, I believe that it should be, people should talk about it openly.

20:56Yeah. So you do believe that. In families also. In families, to children. I mean, in India, what happens when parents don't touch each other.

21:05They stay away from them. Okay. So what happens when parents don't touch each other? They stay away from them. Okay.

21:08What happens when parents don't touch each other? When parents don't touch each other, they are physical also with each other. I mean, to an extent.

21:21Children, I mean, there's nothing wrong if parents are kissing each other. That's how children understand that it's very natural. It's a real thing.

21:29But when parents don't touch each other, then perversion starts taking place.

21:35Nepotism debate has been going on for a very long time. But, um, see, you give them chances. But do you think that it actually affects them?

21:45I mean, like, see, for example, Karthikaran has done very good for himself, coming from a non-film background. So have many other people.

21:53I mean, you know, a lot of them are coming in the industry. What do you have to say on that? Like, that debate, that outsider vs. Starkit debate?

22:06Look, two, three, I'll tell you. I don't give a chance to the new people in films. When I do my marketing, I give a chance to the media. And I give a chance to them.

22:18I'll give a chance to them. That's why they also should have space to grow. If nobody will go and talk to them, how will they grow?

22:27Second thing is that the nepotism debate is that you have to understand the first thing. It's not easy.

22:33I'll tell you, if my son is a very good actor, then what is the chance to give him? What is the problem of someone else's father?

22:43If someone is a very good doctor and his son is a good surgery, then what is the problem?

22:47If someone is a good doctor, then what is the problem of someone else's father? If someone is a good child and his son is a good company,

22:59like Mukesh Ammani, who took his father's father's father, who took his father's father's father, who took his father's father, who took his father's father,

23:06who took his father's father's father, who took his father's father to him, you had to blame him. That's not right.

23:14That's not right. So don't mention nepotism. Nepotism is the only case of doctor and your son is a plumber of surgery.

23:23and if you were to get sick of a patient, you had to get sick of that.

23:27Then you could do it, and if there was one patient died,

23:29then you could study it, I could teach them.

23:31If you are doing it, you do it, then it is the nepotism.

23:34When you are doing it, you can kill yourself,

23:36and kill yourself by once and once,

23:38the only time you have to film it,

23:41then it is the nepotism.

23:44I will not name your name, but you can watch a film.

23:48So many people are far from acting from one billion light years.

23:53They don't even understand that acting has a skill.

23:58They don't know they have to sit in bed and put a coat on their clothes.

24:05They don't have to do anything, they don't have to do it.

24:08They don't have to do it.

24:09They don't have to do it.

24:11They don't have to do it.

24:13They don't have to do it.

24:14They also have to cover up the AI.

24:17So when they're killed by the person who created movies, it's like stars, celebrities, but they're basically fashion models.

24:25Right?

24:26Okay, so their pictures are just happy.

24:28A lot of stars do not look like stars.

24:32Their father-in-law has money.

24:35These people are just coming to pay for a photo and they still have a lot of work.

24:43That is nepotism.

24:45So when you have your money, your power, your son, your son, your cardiac surgery, or a girl who needs something else in life, who needs to act more, then you need to say nepotism.

25:01You need to say nepotism. You need to say nepotism. You need to say nepotism. You need to say the legacy of your family.

25:10The child is a child. It doesn't have a problem. But if the child is a child, he doesn't even know the child, then when he comes, he will eat the whole family.

25:21That is the problem.

25:22You as a person, if I would like, let's say, if I talk about your family life, you have collaborated professionally with your wife on so many projects, right?

25:33So how, what is the equation like between you and your wife professionally and personally?

25:38Personally, it will be good. Then we can get professional. And sometimes it will be good for professional.

25:44But we didn't start our career, I mean our relationship with professional.

25:48I mean our relationship with professional. So we don't have to say that we don't have to say that we don't have to say that we don't have to say that.

26:01Because there are certain subjects which both of us felt very strongly about.

26:06In Tashkand Files research, Pallavi was involved. And that's why she was the producer of that film along with us.

26:12In Buddha in a traffic jam, it was my journey. I started but then she acted in it.

26:17And then I write very strong characters for women. All the women in my film are very strong.

26:22If you can see the answer on Tashkand Files. In Tashkand Files, how many characters were the Mandirabedee and the Plallavi is like the author of Daunya Mar Adult.

26:30How many girls were strong in prison respectively and so much lefty and so much lefty.

26:34Because my mother was a very strong person. Some of my lady teachers were very very strong people. I extremely respect their strength.

26:47Then my bosses in advertising, okay Tara Sinha, Rhoda Mehta, these were very strong women.

26:54And then my wife, when I met her, Pallavi is a very strong person. So my exposure is not weak with people.

27:05So there is a lot of strong women. So that's why subconsciously in my films they are very strong people.

27:11And strong doesn't mean that I don't mean Lakshmi. I meant layered people. People who have lots and lots of layers.

27:19Not just superficial. People who have lot of gravitas, lot of depth.

27:21So when I write, they become very complex characters. And they carry a lot of baggage of the past. And they have lots of layers.

27:34So therefore I need very strong actresses for that. So this is why I end up casting Pallavi.

27:40I cast Pallavi purely on her competence and merit because what she does nobody else can do.

27:45Like in this film Bengal. She is an accomplished actor. She is three time national award winner and she has been here for 50 years now.

27:52Yes. She is playing a 100 year old woman in the Bengal files. Who in today's industry can play? Yes, maybe couple of them.

27:59But who in her middle age can play a 100 year old woman? You know, it's very difficult. It's not possible. So therefore I cast her and therefore we collaborate.

28:10But in these three films, the Tashkan files, Kashmir files and the Bengal files, she has been involved because all we believe in these things.

28:21About you, if I had to ask, how do you unwind? Like you film, what do you like to do in the free time? What do you like to do in the free time?

28:28Do you like to do hobbies?

28:29Look, my family has a lot of gratitude. My wife has a lot of gratitude.

28:32Yes.

28:33She says, you never do unwind. And this is true. I never do unwind.

28:36I never take a baby. I never take a baby. I never say, let's watch a movie. Let's watch a restaurant. Let's watch a restaurant. Let's watch a food.

28:43I never do unwind. And I haven't even realized why I have to do unwind. I don't have to feel unwind.

28:51Unwind means that you have to wind something and then you have to unwind. So I don't feel that in life.

28:56What I am doing, it gives me so much joy. It gives me so much happiness, satisfaction. It gives me so much completeness. Whatever I am doing.

29:06Okay, if I ask this to you, that if you had to define yourself in three words, you yourself, what would you say?

29:15I would say in two different approaches.

29:20My overall universal thinking is Tattva Masih. It means you are the God. You are that. Whatever the power you think, that's what you are.

29:32And that is my life's philosophy. More than philosophy, that's how I feel. Okay? And second thing is,

29:39I will tell you three words. The third is, I don't know. Okay?

29:45So you have to tell yourself that you are the God. Is that true? I will say, I don't know. Okay?

29:51And the third is my mantra. I have three mantras. And the third is, it's going to be going to be going.

29:55And three and three words. Tattva Masih, I don't know, and it's going to be going.

30:01You have two beautiful kids. Yeah? Have they ever shown interest in joining the industry?

30:07They are in the industry. They have been working with us in all these three films. They have worked with us.

30:13And my son works, started as one of those flunky ADs. AD. And now in the Bengal files, he was associate director.

30:22And my daughter loves production, so she's in production. Okay. So she worked with us in the Kashmir files in production.

30:29In the Kashmir files, she was a clapper girl. And from there they have grown. So yeah, so they have come from giving claps to finally on their merit they have grown.

30:38And, but now I think both of them want to venture out, do things on their own.

30:43If there's one thing that you think that people don't know about you and you could tell them, what would it be?

30:48Because it's my profession. That's why I do.

31:03I don't believe God. What is my politics? What is my politics? What am I? What am I?

31:09This is my life. Ideologically and philosophically, I don't understand why anybody has to know anybody.

31:18When there is a social media, there are some things in this situation.

31:23Sometimes I shoot a lot of sunset and sunrise.

31:26Sometimes people get to know if they are in the mountains or in the mountains or in America or in Europe. Otherwise, I don't like people knowing.

31:34You do a lot of travel. Is there a lot of your favorite destinations?

31:39I like to go to the mountains.

31:42Today, there is a problem. Every city has become so crowded.

31:46But I like to walk along in Europe. I like to get lost.

31:52I go to the jungle and go to the mountains.

31:55You like nature?

31:56I spend a lot of time in nature.

31:58So, Himalaya used to be my favorite place.

32:00I lived there for a few months.

32:02But now, there is also a lot of traffic.

32:05Commercialized.

32:06So, now, I have identified a place for solitude in South Gowa.

32:11I go there for 15-20 days. I go there very often.

32:16So, let's talk about you. You are a loner.

32:20How did you have been in childhood?

32:22Were you the notorious kid?

32:24No, I was a bit sick as a child.

32:28I was a bit sick as a child.

32:29So, I was a bit sick as a life-death.

32:31I was a bit sick.

32:32At about 12-15 years old, I was very sick.

32:36So, I was a bit sick.

32:38So, what happened is that I got introduced to reading lots of biographies of great people, especially scientists.

32:45So, I got a lot of interest in science, physics, philosophy, literature and cultural aspects of life.

32:55But then, when I was 17-18 years old, I got a little anxiety.

33:00I was very well because of health.

33:02So, I got a little anxiety.

33:04I got a lot of flamboyant and avara-gardy.

33:07Everything's politics.

33:09It started what I did.

33:10So, I lived my life on the edge for a very long time.

33:13So, I was with middle age.

33:16But then, life takes.

33:17How do we take theerkts?

33:19So, the idea of filmmaking?

33:20No, I don't.

33:22No, I didn't have any idea. I was doing ad films and things happen, then TV and feature films started.

33:29I didn't have any plans, I didn't have any plans. I didn't know anything after that.

33:36If it happens, I'll do it.

33:38What is your personal favorite in your filmography? And what do you like to your family?

33:44See, my kids, I think like any other kids who were in that era, they would like my film Goal, which is football based. They would love that film.