Sometimes, I have to make an effort to remember that I did make a film after all. In fact, in the early days, I struggled to convince some people that what I had made was indeed a feature film. “How long is it?” would be an often-asked question. After a long pause, I’d say, “116 minutes; a little less than 2 hours.” To which the reply would be: “Oh, it’s that long, huh? Okay, it’s like a film only then...or is it a documentary?” I’d then give up explaining any further. Instead, I’d indulge in feel-good conversations that would have me say things like, “Nice haircut…or hey, you have lost so much weight!”

Then again, writing and making films is all I know, so I keep at it. But now, I have wised up. Before deciding on a film’s title, I chant, “I am making a U/A film...Yes, I am making a U/A film.” This is necessary to keep me from faltering, you see. Several ideas and innumerable drafts later, I finally zero in on a script that I think will qualify as a U/A film. I then take it to producers who’d green-light the project.