Actor-filmmaker Deepak Tijori is displeased but not angry. While talking about his past he looks back at it very fondly. Last weekend his latest film Tipppsy released. The director talked about how he hopes that it doesn’t become a victim of multiplexes not allowing him appropriate showcasing.
“There is a satisfaction that we made a satisfactory film,” Deepak Tijori says as he begins the interview, “but the challenge was to give it a good, proper release.” It is his sixth in his directorial career after being featured in blockbusters like Aashiqui, Khiladi, Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar, Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa, Ghulam and Baadshah.
In an interview with Indianexpress, Deepak talked about the 90s phase and how he would party with his friends Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan and Salman Khan. “The main challenge that almost all directors face is that… The box office is run on the basis of the star system, which has been going on for 40-50 years. That hasn’t changed today. It is probably easier to make a film if you have the stars and the actors on your side. I have been an actor before, and I switched to filmmaking when I wanted to share stories. Because this star system exists, it becomes a tough situation…,” he shared.
He also spoke about how the independent producers are struggling and why he has never tried to pitch his superstar friends. He said, “The struggle happens at the time of release, when you have independent producers. National chains support studios, who are frequently giving them food to eat. So, they give priorities to studios, who are on a regular basis providing them content. Today, if you have a decent star on board but not a studio, even he can’t pull off decent showcasing in theatres. So, the business has undergone a major shift, which has got nothing to do with content or quality, but just about who is giving you films every month. I realised it while I was with my distribution house. Although Panorama is a big distribution house, but in spite of that, I didn’t get a single evening show in the whole of Mumbai. My film is a whodunnit, the audience for it comes in the evening, but I wasn’t allotted a single show. So, my whole battle was who do I fight? They expected people to go at 1 or 4 PM in the afternoon. Independent producers have to fight this battle a lot.”
When asked about his fight for showcasing and whether it was a heartbreaking realisation for the actor-filmmaker replied, “Multiplexes have their own permutation combination, which is a situation you can’t fight. They are private owners, so we have to succumb to this monopolistic trade which is existing and co-existing for a long time now. The studios are happy with it. But this is a mode which has cropped up in the last ten years. Earlier, this wasn’t the case. They used to be fair, give each one a certain amount of share. Independent producers should get some decent showcasing.”
“They are still very sweet, whenever I come across Shah Rukh or Aamir or any of the guys I have worked with, they have been nice. We have been the best of friends then, but obviously over the years I made my choice of making independent films, which are not very conventional, my subjects are different. My debut film was about strippers! The same subject then came on screen years later with Desi Boyz! If there is a story, I feel I should go to Shah Rukh or Aamir with, I wouldn’t stop myself, but as of yet, no… I don’t want to ever be in a position where they think, ‘Achcha let’s think about this because he is a friend.’ No, only if I feel I have a worthy story for them,” he shared how having access to superstars doesn’t ease up the process as he wouldn’t reach out to unless he finds his script being worthy enough to pitch to them.
“When we work together, we are the best of friends. The moment we move away, we still remain friends, but it is not like we are meeting each other every day for parties. That happens when you are in a clan. There was a time when we were in a clan, the whole of 90s, we used to party together, whether it is Shah Rukh, Pooja (Bhatt), Raveena (Tandon), Ashutosh Gowariker, Rahul Roy, all of us used to party. We don’t remain the same age, so we obviously grow. When we start growing and living in our spaces, the fact remains that when we meet, we go back to how we were. I am fortunate enough to have created this bond with most of the people I have worked with, whether it is the 90s or now.” He concluded by talking about his friendships in the industry.
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