MUMBAI: Actor Sparsh Shrivastava is on cloud nine with his film ‘Laapataa Ladies’ co-starring Nitanshi Goel and Pratibha Ranta getting submitted as India’s official entry for the 97th Academy Awards.
The actor, who has earlier been a part of the path-breaking show ‘Jamtara – Sabka Number Ayega’ and a solid body of work on television, feels that the democratisation of talent and adequate support to them can turn Indian cinema collectively as a formidable force on the international stage.
Sparsh spoke with IANS and discussed several things including his current mindspace in the light of recent events, his experience of working with Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan and his production house, Aamir Khan Productions, and his perspective on the west looking at India cinema through a certain lens.
Ask him about what all is currently going on inside, and he admits about experiencing a range of emotions.
In an honest admission, he said, “None of us expected that this is coming. We were sure that we had made a great film, but we were not really confident that we'll go to the Oscars. So, this is pretty unreal and I think I'm feeling emotional right now. And ‘Laapataa Ladies’ is one of the foremost important stories that comes out of Indian society. It has many facets that relate to a lot of people, not just in the big cities, in smaller towns as well”.
The actor feels that ‘Laapataa Ladies’ is one those films that is destined to age well, and attain a cult status in 10-15 years down the line. He listed some of his favourite titles like ‘Tamasha’ and ‘Gangs of Wasseypur’ and shared that ‘Laapataa Ladies’ has the potential to be like them in years to come.
He told IANS, “I think this will be one of the films which will be a cult now. Whenever we visit films like ‘Tamasha’ or ‘Gangs of Wasseypur’, wherever you start the film from, it feels fresh to watch again. ‘Laapataa Ladies’ will always give you that feeling and it is something that will always connect with the audience”.
Prior to ‘Laapataa Ladies’, the Academy had placed ‘Lagaan’ and ‘Mother India’ in the final nominations. Both the films had a strong background of Indian villages, as is the case with ‘Laapataa Ladies’. Does the western cinema look at India through a certain cinematic lens?
Sparsh thought over it, and carefully replied as he formed an opinion, “Could be a possibility, but I think we are good at showcasing our villages. We as makers also connect to our villages, we have lived that life. As makers, we are evolving towards the western cinema as well. People like Zoya Akhtar or for that matter, films that Aamir sir has done, or Kiran ma'am has also done, like ‘Dhobi Ghat’, they are equally great, but probably within a few years, the lens will change for the other countries”.
The democratisation of talent and of storytelling, how will it empower our cinema on the international canvas?
He shared, “I think our stories will become better. With most of the industry understanding that it's the right talent and the right story and the right makers which can make a film work more than a big name. I think it will also empower the new makers out there”.
He further mentioned, “I interact with a lot of independent producers or the independent writers who are budding writers, and young, fresh students out of the schools, from the filmmaking schools, they are highly talented and I think it's time for them to bloom now. I really hope that big makers out there trust and believe in the new talent. I think a lot of other makers can also start doing that so that as an industry we can progress and make a mark”.