- Vasan Bala is back with an unscripted docuseries titled Cinema Marte Dum Tak.
- Takes the viewers to the era of B-grade films in India.
- He feels inspired by their passion to complete films in minimum time and budget.
Vasan Bala, who is now enjoying critical acclaim for his Netflix film Monica O My Darling, is back with an unscripted docuseries named Cinema Marte Dum Tak, which transports viewers to the period of B-grade films. Vasan is aware that pulpy cinema has become fodder for social media memes, but he believes there is still a lot to learn from even that type of filmmaking. He is inspired by their desire to complete films in the shortest amount of time and on the smallest possible budget, and he also shares his childhood introduction to the world of B-movies.
Vasan Bala, joins four clever filmmakers from the 1990s, J Neelam, Vinod Talwar, Dilip Gulati, and Kishan Shah, to recreate the intriguing and blooming world on screen once more in the Amazon Original reality docu-series Cinema Marte Dum Tak. He spoke to the Hindustan Times about the novel concept and everything noteworthy about the era. Excerpts:
What is the concept behind Cinema Marte Dum Tak?
Back in the 1980s and 1990s, there were so many various sorts of filmmakers and markets for films. With the introduction of apps, the playing field has been leveled. When it comes to pulpy movies, it’s a realm that exists on the outside but no one knows much about. It made a lot of money and had a big impact at one point. We were piqued and returned to that cinema – the industry you know exists but know little about. So we wanted to go deep and put them into the spotlight to better understand who they are and why they do what they do. We were getting into the really pulpy, underground film that flourished in the 1980s, 1990s, and early 2000s.
Are we talking about B-grade films here?
Yes, it is a colloquial word. They are referred to as B-grade in the United States and B pictures in Hollywood. Because they are blockbuster pictures, they have grown extremely popular in Hollywood. We prefer to call them pulpy movies; we don’t look down on them, but we try to capture the spirit of what they’re after: immediate satisfaction.
The contemporary age mocks such films, and its glances are largely seen as social media memes.
Our role was not to evaluate them in that way, but to show them in their true light, which would certainly lead to an interesting debate with the eventual viewer and what they were laughing at. After getting to know them, they may develop some empathy or comprehension of who these people are. The show didn’t capitalize on the industry’s parody value. The spectators are free to form their own opinions on them.
What you remember about that age of pulpy movies.
The most important takeaway was how quickly they completed their films. They could have one white wall and shoot 50% of their film on that one wall. That was an excellent lesson; telling a story is not about the setting or the background, but about what the maker wants to do. They were really efficient in this regard. All of these filmmakers are excellent editors. If the performers are not present for the shot, they will simply ensure that through editing, you get the impression that they are all in the same room and engaging at the same time. While one actor would have provided only a half-day to film, the other would have given three days after three months. And it’s all wrapped up in a single film. Sometimes it makes perfect sense, and sometimes it doesn’t. But the fact that people tried and had ambition is what fascinates us about this environment, which we are attempting to depict in the series.
Is there anything you learned while creating this docuseries that you’d like to incorporate into your own filmmaking style?
Of course, I’ve only created films like this. I attempted to make my debut film, Peddlers, for less than 60 lakhs. We didn’t have any money, so we kept painting the same wall. These are the movie hacks that are used when one is desperate to present a tale yet lacks resources. It’s reassuring to know that cinema is such a tremendous equalizer because it requires you to use your thinking and create a tale. Even the most famous filmmakers must have utilized these approaches when they first started out. When James Cameron made The Terminator, he would have had to use these techniques.
How would you characterize the films you viewed as a child?
I discovered them (pulp films) on VHS. If we tried to rent Ramsay Brothers’ films and they were already rented, the VHS guy would push these pictures, claiming, ‘these are also frightening, actors seem similar’. That’s how you find a Harinam Singh or Mohan Bhakri. When Ramsay films were unavailable, you were offered these.
Back in 2008, Richa Chadha would host screenings of these films in her home, such as Harinam Singh’s Khooni Dracula, and discuss and watch them with her friends. That tribe was constantly nearby. There is a good group of people who invest in them, watch them, discuss them, and are serious about their pursuit of them. These flicks were making more money than a Subhash Ghai film in some areas. Gunda exploded and became the most successful pulp novel of all time.
Almost every movie nowadays receives criticism. Can these movies be done today without the censor board mandating several cuts?
They were dealing with the same issue at the time. They have a pair of jod ke reel bachate (they would beg to save their film reels). They would sometimes go with a two-hour film and then return with a half-hour film. The meanings have shifted significantly.
Can similar films now be released in theaters without being met with protests?
Jisko halla karenge hi to karenge. Log tabhi halla karte hain, kisi bada insan juda hota hai. Chhote mote logo mein headline banegi nahi (Those who wish to yell will do so. People only create a fuss when a famous name is involved. Small-name targeting does not garner attention). It is not the morals that they are advocating for, but rather the name. The loudness is caused by their own names, not by the content. They are available on the apps. Jisko dhundna hota hai wo dhundh lega (those who seek the diamond, find it).
You recently directed Monica O My Darling, which contained numerous Easter eggs.
Easter eggs were also present at Mard Ko Dard Nahi Hota, but no one paid attention to them. Easter eggs should never be in the foreground, only in the background. It comes as a surprise and is not part of the plot. It will have no effect on how you watch the movie. There is an additional layer of interactivity if you notice them. Easter eggs are for me, and people who find them have a connection to me.
Over time, your flicks become cult classics. Can these films be more commercially successful?
I’m a long way from judging anything commercially. Main bhi bangley mein rah raha hota (I would have lived in a bungalow), but I don’t. I don’t know anything. What I know is that I want to communicate tales through my films. I’m not sure about the business side of things. I have no commercial experience. How things work and how they should be assembled. I am more into the artistic side of things and am very protective of them.
[embedpost slug=”/vasan-bala-and-radhika-apte-discuss-how-an-actors-image-helps-get-films/”]
Read more
