'I have so much cinema to offer'

Suneel Darshan

Filmmaker Suneel Darshan has had a career spanning more than three decades, It has been quite an eventful journey with several memorable films like Jaanwar, Andaaz, Ek Rishtaa: The Bond Of Love and Haan Maine Bhi Pyaar Kiya Hai, among others. The one thing that the filmmaker stands by even today is that he invested in the kind of content he believed in. In this interview, the filmmaker talks about his journey, how he is eager to go back behind the cameras and the love his films receive even today. Excerpts.

You have been in the industry for more than three decades. How has your journey been so far?

I never considered myself as a piecemeal filmmaker. Whether I was producing or directing, for me it was always about the entire process of filmmaking. I started my journey with Inteqaam (1988) which was directed by Rajkumar Kohli. I even launched my brother Dharmesh Darshan with Lootere in 1993. My contribution for all my films was in every department measuredly. I have always been a filmmaker rather than someone who is working in a particular department. Looking back, I feel I dabbled in almost all departments of filmmaking whether it was writing, the art of which I learnt in the gradual flow of my career or whether it was being a director. I enjoy the process of learning cinema. I am constantly learning.

Ek Rishtaa: The Bond Of Love recently completed 20 years. It's been 18 years since you made Andaaz and Talaash: The Hunt Begins.

Every film of mine has been a milestone in my career. My cinema in the last two decades has been the most watched cinema on digital platforms or even satellite. Most of my films have been rewatched many times by the audiences. This is a big reward for me. And I believe cinema hasn't changed for me. If you give the audience a good film, they will surely watch it over and over again. I was talking to someone the other day who told me that she was 5-years-old when Ek Rishtaa released and she saw it for the first time just that day on TV and was overwhelmed.

What kind of films are you looking forward to making?

I am a passionate filmmaker. Even today I have so much cinema to make and offer. I have always been interested in telling compelling stories and not driven by what the market is dictating at a given point of time.I have never followed any trends. After making an action-packed film like Jaanwar (1999), I made a social drama with Ek Rishtaa: The Bond Of Love (2002). I had a romantic drama like Andaaz (2003) and then a thriller like Talaash: The Hunt Begins (2003) releasing in the same year.

Are you planning to make something in the near future?

We lost the last two years because of the ongoing pandemic. But these were great learning years for me. As a filmmaker my mind has to be relaxed while making a film. Making good cinema with so much stress is a difficult job. I was to start a movie a year-and-a-half back for which we had even recorded the music but we had to put everything on hold. I can't make a movie without interacting. For me, a Zoom call is a lot more difficult and I am still getting used to it. But this too shall pass and hopefully tomorrow will be better. This year I moved into my new office and decided to start afresh. I am gearing up and hoping to come back to the cinema soon.

Any plans to make a film with your son Shiv Darshan?

He has had a slow start. Karle Pyaar Karle did not succeed. His second film Ek Haseena Thi Ek Deewana Tha had a strange success. It's music saw over two billion views on digital platforms. This is a sign that people want to watch him. We are about to start a movie and hopefully once things are normal we will set the ball rolling.