The destiny of Banaras the movie

Banaras the movie is an intent. It had to happen. And so it did.
The idea chose me rather than the other way around.

It implanted in me, a lot of passion and the right amount of madness so I could ignore the "rational" commercial aspects while undertaking the venture. I trust thats how these things happen. I know that a lot of people must be laughing at my "madness" and even ridiculing my efforts but the thrill of being a medium of something like Banaras is a blessing that a few would comprehend.

I remember, one day, Pankuj Parashar, who could obviosly see the risks of making such a movie more than I, being a friend told me to consider the idea to abandon making Banaras in favour of an "erotic thriller". This, according to him, would be a far sensible commercial proposition. I think, I took less than a second to tell him that I was not making a movie for the love of Bollywood or money but through me Banaras wanted to be reborn and thats what I was going to do.

For years I was consumed with Banaras. I have kept awake at nights thinking about the plight of Shwetambari. I lived with every character to know, to understand and to empathise with it. Notice, that every character in the movie, evolves; be it Soham, Shwetambari , Gayatri, Mahendranath, Mahamaya or Gunjan.

The movie is about individul evolution. It's about having flaws and overcoming them. It's about making the right choices; e.g. reacting to other's actions or responding in compassion.

I learnt screenplay writing that taught to create drama and pull for the next scene, in every scene. ( I was aware why Sanjay Leela Bansali chose to make Devdas so loud!). I debated a lot in my mind. I knew the risk of depending upon the drama of mind which demands attention and was also aware that the average moviegoer of today goes to theatre for recreation and not to apply brain, but something in me remained admant not to compromise the simlicity and purity of narration. What could that be?

This movie could not be anything but what it is because it was created to look like this and not like anything else. Whatever may have been its fate on the box office it was born with its own destiny.

The destiny, that is its own.