I love how Pakistani actors use language and vocalise their dialogues: Indian filmmaker Onir

While Bollywood is known for its larger-than-life commercial extravaganzas, the introduction of sensitive filmmakers has given the industry an opportunity to widen its horizons and bring independent and socially relevant cinema to the fore.

Award-winning filmmaker Onir is one such name who has successfully managed to bring art-house cinema in India the recognition it deserves. With films like Bas Ek Pal and My Brother Nikhil to his credit, Onir’s most recent directorial Shab, starring Raveena Tandon, Arpita Pal and Ashish Bisht has now made its way to the big screen.

In an exclusive conversation with Images, the director opens up about his latest cinematic outing and his take on the trade of talent. Read on:

Images: Judging by its trailer, Shab seems like a quintessential, love-triangle, don’t you feel that’s being overdone in Bollywood?

Onir: I wouldn’t call it a love-triangle as such since the film talks about four unspoken dreams, desires and destinations. It’s about relationships and how these four pivotal characters have [different] equations with one another. There’s a French actor in the film, Simon Frenay who also comes into play. All in all, Shab is an intense-romantic film about redefining relationships. The trailer only shows one aspect of the story, there’s much more that I want the audience to discover for themselves.

Images: You’ve worked with a number of veteran actresses and now you direct Raveena Tandon for Shab. Does it get intimidating?

Onir: The first time I experienced cinema was on a set with Raveena. So in a way, she’s been associated with my journey in cinema. Also I feel artists generally, with age become more beautiful and tuned as actors. So there’s something very special. There was so much learning when I had worked with Shabana Azmi and Juhi Chawla, a lot of their suggestions worked for me.

That said, newcomers with zero experience, who bring in their own freshness have ideas that you can implement upon as well; you also learn from them. From my first film to now, I’ve only worked with people who liked the script and were interested in working with me. I’ve always had great fun working with everyone, I feel mutual love and respect is essential.

Images: One of the central characters in the film is called Azfar. How did that come about and do you think there’s Pakistani influence in that role?

Onir: At one point, I was very keen on casting Azfar [Rehman]. Even though I haven’t met him, we had been in touch. But ultimately when it wasn’t working out, I renamed the lead character of the film to Azfar. The character for which I wanted to cast him was initially from Kashmir who spoke beautiful Urdu. I had conducted auditions at the academy of arts in Karachi and what fascinated me the most, was the immense talent and the skills of language that I came across.

All in all, I’ve always looked at artists from Pakistan as actors I would want to work with. When I was in Karachi, I never felt that I was somewhere else. I love the way Pakistani actors use language and vocalise their dialogues. I always look forward to collaborations, I feel cinema creates bridges and I want to be a part of that.

Images: It’s public news that you weren’t able to work with Atif Aslam on the film’s soundtrack. Do you think it is acceptable for political instability to seep into art?

Onir: Atif and I were speaking during the release of Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, and I realized that more than anything, it’s unfair to the artist. Ultimately, the film also gets affected you see, when you’ve worked with someone and you’re unable to do justice to their inclusion in the film; I don’t have the strength to go through that.

It also has an impact on the bridge that we’re trying to build. I think we need to put in more of our energies. I felt like being home in Karachi and if we only look at the problems, forgetting what is beautiful, we’ll never be able to live in a better society.

Images: So you think Bollywood doesn’t treat Pakistani artists as outsiders?

Onir: They’re treated as outsiders by politicians, be it anyone from Fawad Khan to Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, they’re all loved for their incredible talent in the industry and by the audience. When I was unable to record a new song with Atif, initially because I didn’t have the kind of budget to afford him, I called him up and he told me he’d do it because Bas Ek Pal was a very important film to him.

He invited me to Pakistan as his guest and that’s when I realized that not only is he a wonderful artist, but also a great human being. That is the love we have for each other. There’re negative people everywhere, but what matters to me is how good talent is cherished in India, just how Indian cinema is celebrated in Pakistan.

Images: Pakistani artists continue to work across the border despite the unofficial ban that’s been placed. Do you think that’s the way forward?

Onir: Of course and I’m happy that is happening, I look forward to doing the same. There’s no reason for that not to change, and it would be a shame if it hadn’t. I am great friends with Nabeel [Qureshi], he helped co-produce my last film. I am and we’re constantly trying to figure out something we can do together. I connect him to actors in India and he suggests Pakistani talent to me. Om Puri didn’t feel like a foreigner working in Pakistan and vice versa for Fawad. Borders don’t exist as long as there are people like them.

Images: Lastly, are you expecting a release on this side of the border and how do you think the Pakistani audience would react to it?

Onir: I hope so. I’m trying to. It’s just the budgets that are different, culturally we’re too similar. It’s that commonality that we want to blend in and work with each other. Also Pakistan has some incredibly bold and strong films like Bol, so there’s no reason why the Pakistani audience won’t identify with or understand Shab.