New interview...artisticinclination.com

Love gets Wrinkle Free with Sandeep Mohan

Aug. 11 Featured, Popular

 (You can read the full interview at http://artisticinclination.com/sandeepmohan/)

Every film-maker has a story to share and so does Sandeep Mohan. Making his debut into bollywood with his an anti-ageing comedy ‘Love, Wrinkle Fee’, he is constantly striving hard to change the film making scenario in India. Sandeep Talks to AiN about his latest movie ‘Love Wrinkle Free’ and other projects.


AiN: When, in life, did you decide to follow directing as the path you’d take as a storyteller?
Sandeep: At around 21. I wandered into it. Never planned or dreamed as a kid that I will one day be a writer/director. Had a lot of questions in my mind, and I guess this is one medium that allows you to explore this.
AiN:  How did you get the idea to write the script for ‘Love, Wrinkle free’? What was your biggest fear
before starting it?
Sandeep: Love, Wrinkle-free evolved from my observations about Urban Indian society. Living in cities, I could sense that people are getting excessively obsessed with the way they look, and the ‘external’ self was getting way too much importance. This too, in a country which prided itself on ‘inner-growth’. Slowly a story started forming in my mind as I set about to explore this theme in a light-hearted tone, and thus Love, Wrinkle-free took form…
Fear? Well, many, but I didn’t let that hold me back. The biggest fear must have been the fear that I would run out of fuel since the process of indie filmmaking is so hands-on that you need lots of mental and physical strength. I am glad that it worked out and I was able to motivate myself to go at it..
AiN: You couldn’t have a better star cast than this. Both Ash Chandler and Shernaz Patel is top notch.How did you go about assembling such a cast? Was it as simple as a phone call away?
Sandeep: I had these actors in mind and gave them the script, and they were very keen to be part of it. Nothing in filmmaking is simple as a phone call away, you got to understand that. You need to be constantly at it to convince people that what you are dreaming about is actually going to happen and that too in a particular way. I had to communicate my vision to the actors for them to get excited that they are part of something unique. I am glad I approached these actors since they gave their heart out for this movie. Now they are friends for life.
AiN: The film is in English, did that limit the number of audiences?
Sandeep: India is the second largest English speaking country in the world. Yeah, we don’t speak the way Americans or the British do, but we have our own way of communicating in English. Love, Wrinkle-free is an Indian-English movie, and since the movie is set in Goa and in a Roman Catholic world, I thought it apt to keep it in Indian English. A Tamil movie or a Bengali movie also has a limited audience, but that doesn’t mean they have stopped making movies. Similarly, a movie in India in Indian English does have an audience, and the challenge is ‘how to reach out to them’. The language is not the issue. Love, Wrinkle-free will appeal to those people who like sensible, light-hearted movies, and it was very well-received by this section of the audience when it released in 10 cities in India in May.
AiN: In order to secure funding you need to have a known actor and in order to get a known actor
you need sufficient funding. What do you have to say about budget constraints? Can the film be
funded on the basis of concept alone?
Sandeep: Funding for an indie movie is difficult all over the world. Nothing is easy. But it is not just in movies. Climbing Mount Everest or even a smaller hillock comes with some amount of effort. So you trust that your passion for the story that you want to tell will drive you and get you to a point where you have enough funds to start the movie. I never had ideas like I need well-known actors since for me the Super star is the ‘Script’. Everybody else is secondary. A film can be funded on a good script, and a good team. You have to set your expectations accordingly. I never wanted to become famous or wanted the world to sit up and clap. I just wanted to tell a story through Love, Wrinkle-free and I did. I am not greedy nor do I have silly ambitions like winning the Oscars. I am just interested in making movies. I know how much money I can raise, and hence I write a script to suit that budget.
AiN: If you could destroy a myth about the film, what would that be?
Sandeep: There are no experts. So listen only to your heart, and don’t let anyone else with more experience or who is older tell you how to make ‘your’ movie. A film is a director’s vision, stick to it. At the same time, take everyone together. Be tactful about this fine balance.
AiN: You have worked as an assistant director for Sanjay Leela Bhansali, written various scripts and
then finally ‘Love, Wrinkle free’. Do you plan on acting in movies as well?
Sandeep: I have no plans in acting in movies. Though I am interested in making documentaries, probably writing a book and possibly playing Badminton tournaments in the near future, before I die.
AiN: Where do you think this film will hold a place in film history in a couple of years?
Sandeep: I have no idea about how history records movies, my job is to write a story and direct the movie. I will just say that they will look at ‘Love, Wrinkle-free’ has one of those films that stuck to its original vision and offered something very unique as compared to the usual fare that comes out. Also it is not necessary for indie movies to be dark, and ‘Love, Wrinkle-free’ is one of those very few Indian indie films that uses a lighthearted tone to drive home its point. Also the international audience also lapped it up in most of the fests and we have managed to sell the movie to some foreign markets too.
AiN: What are the other projects you are working on?
Sandeep: I am at the moment working on a very interesting script which is keeping me very excited. I have a few other scripts which are ready too, but I will come to that when the time is right. In a vast country like India, there is no shortage of stories if you keep your eyes, ears and heart open
AiN: Many aspiring directors never achieve modest success. What do you have to say to young
people out there to get into the film industry?
Sandeep: I am no expert and hence don’t have anything to say to them except ‘Follow your gut’. And don’t get into filmmaking to become famous, all that is the side-effect. Put your everything into the script and go about it with an uncompromising vision. Simple. And most importantly, enjoy your life beyond movies.

An international movie blog interviewed me...Fun!

 This is a prestigious movie blog run by John Gaspard. Original interview can be read here: 

http://fastcheapmoviethoughts.blogspot.in/2012/07/sandeep-mohan-on-love-wrinkle-free.html

(I have copy-pasted it down below, just in case you hate clicking on Links!)

What was your filmmaking background before making Love, Wrinkle-free?

SANDEEP: I had made three short films, directed music videos, written scripts for television and been an advertising copywriter before. Also I started off my career as an Assistant Director to Sanjay Bhansali on a movie called Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam.

Where did the idea come from and what was the writing process like?

SANDEEP: Love, Wrinkle-free is based on my observations of what is happening in Indian cities of late. More and more people are getting obsessed with the way they look and there is a sudden increase in the number of skin clinics and botox centres and what-not everywhere. In a country that prided itself for its focus on "Internal growth" having offered the world the Yoga, this addiction to the “external" was interesting, especially for a storyteller.

The writing process is what I enjoy the most. Since I was unable to concentrate at home, I paid one of my close friends some small money, requesting him to offer a room in his house. He agreed, and I used to go there daily for 2-3 months where I sat and worked on the script of Love, Wrinkle-free without too much distraction. I used to go there at 10am in the morning and be back to my home by 6pm. It was a fun process.

I used to also go and sit in cafes and pubs to see whether what I am working on has any relevance to these guys and gals. Also I started watching middle-aged people more closely to understand what they would be going through and all this, I hope has helped me make an interesting movie

Can you talk about how you raised your budget and your financial plan for recouping your costs?

SANDEEP: After finishing the script, I had started a Blog. Soon one of my close friends from US, Giju John got involved and he wanted to set up a Production Company in India. Then we set up a website and went about the task of inviting people to invest in this project -in a crowd funding exercise. Later on, another friend, Kamal, got involved and soon we managed to raise just enough to make a small budget indie movie which is now successfully running in cinema halls

In India, indie movies find it really hard to stand out. But Love, Wrinkle-free has managed to woo the critics with very good reviews coming out on the first day of the release of the movie. Since there are not many cinema halls playing indie cinema, we will have to recoup our investment from other rights - like Satellite and DVD and Overseas rights. At this moment, talks are on with various people who are interested in acquiring the rights in India and abroad.

What camera did you use and what did you love and hate about it?

SANDEEP: We used the RedOne camera for our 22 day start to finish shoot in Goa.

The reviews which have been coming out are raving about the way Goa looks in the movie, and I am glad no one has even mentioned once that it is Digital! That feels great because that means that the audience has moved on and for them, story and treatment has become more important than the so-called-film look.

The great thing about shooting with RedOne was that since the camera is slightly bulky, most of the crew members treat it like a proper film shoot! Otherwise with smaller cameras, sometimes the crew starts to behave as if they are on a short film shoot. I am sure this is only my opinion and going forward I will use whatever camera that suits my story and budget

Sometimes, this very same factor, the bulkiness of the Redone camera was painful since we couldn't shoot Guerrilla style too much. For instance, if I have to go to market area and shoot, people suddenly become aware that a shoot is on seeing this big camera. So there are pluses and minuses, but overall I am very happy that we chose the RedOne. Love, Wrinkle-free looks beautiful:)

What was your post-production process like and how did it have an impact on the finished movie?

SANDEEP: The editing of the movie happened from my home, in my MacPro. Once my editor Shreyas and I finished with the cut, then we took it out to the Sound studios and Color correction studios. Working on the edit and the Sound is lotsa fun and I am sure we all know that the whole movie takes shape at this stage. Though one can't change the performance of actors, hence it is critical to focus on the performance while on location since a few other things can be worked on and improved during the post.

My whole focus was on telling a simple story, since the budget and time were not there. Even in the edit, all the decisions were taken so as to keep the storytelling simple and smooth.

What was the smartest thing you did during production? The dumbest?

SANDEEP: The smartest thing that I did during production was to not travel in a car! I hired a scooter and traveled from our hotel to location and back. This way, the entire cast and crew realised and believed that we were on a small budget, which was the case. Also, having a scooter helped me since I could take off anywhere after the day's shoot. I used to go and sit at the beach to breathe in positive energy, which I would have exhausted during that day's shoot!

The dumbest thing that I did was to take the reigns of the camera for  20 minutes during a stressful day's shoot when it started raining suddenly and the DOP wanted to stop shooting. I was like a man possessed and told him to give the camera to me and started shooting whatever:) I was worried that I wouldn't be able to finish the movie on time, hence that move. This was kinda dumb I assume!

And, finally, what did you learn from making the film that you have taken to other projects?

SANDEEP: I learned that I have to stay naive about the filmmaking process and be very open to ideas as well as strict when it is required. Also, the director has to lead from the front and a simple, clear line of communication has to be established between the actors, crew and him to make the whole process of shooting exciting for all.

NO ZOO.

My daughter is two years old. Like most kids of that age, she loves all kinds of animals. So a donkey is as cute for her as a dog. Grown ups in cities prefer dogs to donkeys, for their loyalty I'm told. But i have heard that Donkeys are no less loyal. But in a city like Mumbai, i can understand that space issues come in the way of animal-lovers refusing to keep "German Shepherd Donkeys."

We don't have a Pet. So for the time being, I behave like an "all-in-one-animal", make crazy noises, and entertain/terrify my family. When I have more disposable "love" to offer, and a personal Hut in the hills, I will think of getting a donkey or a rabbit. I have nothing against dogs, you see, it's just that they have it a bit too easy in the adoption market. In certain ways, they are like the Brahmins in the animal community now!

Anyway, the point of the blog was my visit to the Byculla Zoo today with my daughter(Amelie) and wife. I have been a bit nervous about this visit right from the time the idea was mooted last night:  "How about taking Amelie to the Zoo and showing her Monkeys and Deers?". The idea was very noble you see, but I was never a "Zoo" kinda person. If Therapists were as fashionable in India as in the West, I would have surely worked on it and got it cured, i guess.

You see, I have worked in 25-30 companies between the restless age of 23 and 29. Whenever I see these animals behind the cage, my memory flashes back to those days of hard labor between 9am and 5pm. The effort involved in getting the clock to move faster sitting inside those small cubicles/cages -it all comes back now like a bad dream. Freedom is something I fought for, and now that I am a free man(PS: I charge for my freelance work), i can't hold the eye contact of any animal inside the cage for long. 

If they could understand my language, i would have asked these animals as to how they got themselves into this messy cage. What do they do when they feel lonely? Have they heard about Facebook or were they captured before that era? I also wanted to ask the Hippo whether he knew his community was called Hippo by us Humans? Also what do they call us. Hopefully not Chappoos! But Byculla Zoo didn't feel like the place for this question-answer. This was a zoo designed to be boring. Bored looking animals inside the cage. Bored looking families, outside the cage, looking as if they were inside the cage.

The last time I have been to a Zoo was the majestic Trivandrum Zoo. Huge area with lots of animals. At least the cages were bigger there. But bigger or smaller, a cage is a cage.  Byculla Zoo didn't have many animals. Either they were not there because it was a Sunday and had gone to their respective villages, or they have been sold to the Circus. We saw 4 Elephants, 20 deers, 2 Hippos, 2 Bears, a few Birds, a few Monkeys, few crows too. You get to see more animals in Mumbai roads than these I feel. The area was green for sure post the rains, but I could smell sadness in the air. I read somewhere that humans are the only animals who know how to smile. So we look at the animals in the cage and smile at them, wanting them to smile back at us. But the lonely Bear inside the cage looked at me for a second, shrugged and went back to dreaming about his time in the jungle years back, before he was caught by the evil version of Shikari Shambu. 

I wonder whether Zoo Officials can use this space for something more innovative.

Since humans are(were) also animals, what if certain kinds of animal-humans are also kept inside these cages. Imagine a bullet-proof glass cage with Kasab inside it. He is an animal too, right? How many of us have seen in flesh how a Terrorist looks like? Imagine another cage with Abu Salem, Telgi etc. What would be more of a Punishment for these high profile criminals than people staring at them from morning till evening. Charge more money at the ticket counter. Why should tax-payers money be spend protecting these criminals in secluded dark jails. Make some money out of this spectacle and treat the real animals better in these Zoos, or better, set them free.

This is my last visit to a Zoo(unless I have to shoot a Zoo scene!). I think probably visiting a National Park is a better idea. Or National Geographic Channel is not bad. They have gone High Definition( life-like) these days:). Hopefully Amelie will grow up having better ideas.

Right now I am thinking of those poor animals in the cage and what would they be doing at this time. They are not criminals to be put behind bars. Hope Inspector Dhoble, the Protector of the Oppressed barges in unannounced in his mufti, rescues them and sets them free. Or a more dramatic 'Shawshank Redemption-like' daring escape led by Mastermind Monkey. Better still would be a combination of these two - the animals making a daring escape taking Dhoble along to the Jungle. That would make Mumbai a very free place finally.

Ok, now I feel better. Come on Mastermind Monkey, dig your way out of that silly cage. You guys deserve a better life.

An article in The Indian Express...

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/love-wrinkles-&-goa/943253/

Yahoo article on Love, Wrinkle-free

Love, Wrinkle-free

Yahoo! India News – Fri 27 Apr, 2012 3:30 PM IST

In an era where commercial Bollywood cinema is mostly what the world outside of India knows of the Indian film industry, the makers of ‘Love, Wrinkle Free’ are vying for a spot outside the proverbial  box. Indie, low-budget, alternative, niche, the names are many for those that colour outside the lines of mainstream cinema.

Indian born Sandeep Mohan who has previously assisted Sanjay Leela Bhansali decided to try his hand as an independent filmmaker and writer. Mohan is also an Emmy Award nominee for his work on Siddhanth.

American resident Giju John an engineer in America by profession but a musician at heart is the second part of this duo.  An avid dancer, John is the musical part of this partnership. What began as just a lyrical association grew to John becoming producer of the film.

Set in the midst of Goa, the story explores the ever-changing relationship between the middle aged Goan businessman Savio, and his 46-year-old wife who is suddenly pregnant. Their adopted teenage daughter, and a woman photographer who Savio comes across, provide the entertaining twists in the tale.

Drawn to the idea of representing a "new India", director Sandeep says their idea stemmed from wanting to draw on the true nature of Indians today, "As Indians are getting more and more exposed to the world outside, issues like "smooth skin", "youth" and "good looks" are taking on a more prominent role among the people. This is a new-India where relationships are being tested by these new values, and how a dysfunctional family copes with these issues.

The film has received accolades at several film festivals and is getting ready to hit Indian shores.

An interview with reelmag.in

Love, Wrinkle Free is another Indie grabbing eyeballs. It’s a fun filled comedy with a dash to sensitivity. We happened to talk to the director of the movie Sandeep and here is our interview with the man…

Q: Hi Sandeep, many congrats for your movie Love, Wrinkle-free. When we saw the trailer, we were literally ROTFL. Tell our readers a little more about the movie...

SM: Thanks Sujoy. The trailer is doing its job I heard. The buzz is slowly but surely building up for the movie and I am excited since it is my debut movie. So trying to stay positive and enjoy the process and hopefully learn some lessons from it. I do hope that people will switch off their televisions for a few hours and come to watch Love, Wrinkle-free on the 25th of May at PVR.

Love, Wrinkle-free is my way of looking at the world around me - I see people in cities obsessing so much about youth, looks and smooth skin. I think more people visit skin clinics and hair-transplantation centres than temples or churches these days and it is clearly a sign of the times that we all are living in. I and me and the way I look has become far more important that that small organ somewhere inside your chest called the heart! As a story-teller, all this is fascinating stuff and I couldn't resist exploring this theme in my debut film as a writer-director.

Love, Wrinkle-free is set in Goa in the Roman Catholic world. It is a fun story of a dysfunctional Goan family - the husband who is middle-aged is 8 years younger to his wife, and their adopted teenage daughter who has started to worry that she doesn't look like either of them. She has started to believe that she is Tibetan probably! The tone is real and light-hearted. Using subtle humor, I have tried to explore this obsession among all of us to retain our youth and smooth skin for a longer period of time. The film was shot in 22 days in Goa. I hope I have managed to do justice to this theme and you guys come out smiling and relaxed from the cinema halls on the 25th of May

Q: Edible lingerie? Where the idea popped up from? Candypants?

SM: Well, frankly I don't remember exactly where the edible lingerie idea popped out from, but it looks like this is quite popular among a few people who like to enjoy life's kinky side.No harm in people having a little fun this way and keep the spice in life going. Imagine if more people are happy in this country, we will have more organised traffic on the road, less honking, and what not. So edible lingerie has its advantages and hope that Love, Wrinkle-free helps in popularizing such "healthy eating habits":) and more Indians go on to win gold medals in Olympic sports:)

Well, on the serious side, when I was a copywriter in an ad agency, I remember working on an underwear ad campaign, and when I used to go this underwear office, I used to see guys and gals - the hardworking MBA sorts, going about their business just like in any other office. For them, what they were selling was no different from selling cars or candies or cough syrups. It was a job. The idea of the lead character evolved from this memory. Savio Monteiro, my lead character is obsessed about the underwear industry. And the rest of the story evolved with my frequent trips to Goa and observing the life as it goes by there.

Q: The story has a click value. It’s definitely going to be liked by certain sections. But a poster like that and obvious hints that movie can be a sex comedy, do you think that this movie will get a nod from masses?

SM” Well, the one poster that you are referring to is not the final poster, but definitely is a catchy one. Love, Wrinkle-free is a sweet, refreshing film set in Goa and it is a movie the entire family can sit and watch, according to me. I don't think in these times, the mention of the word Edible Lingerie is going to scandalize a youngster or their parents. They are used to Chikni Chamelis and Munnis shaking their assets as if their life depended on how far they are able to shake it! Parents should be more worried about how their son/daughter has access to "how to make bombs" in 3 easy steps on youtube channels etc.  Love, Wrinkle-free is a much more sensitive, sensible comedy and hopes to cater to all those people who love good characters, a good plot, good performances and good fun in their cinema experience. So do come over to PVR on the 25th with the whole family since this is not a sex comedy at all.

Q: As a filmmaker and a movie buff, which movie are you waiting for? And why?

SM: As a filmmaker, I am waiting for "To Rome with Love" - Woody Allen's next film. I hope he lives forever and god gives him a long life so that he can surprise us with such simple and stunning movies. In India, I am looking forward to Shanghai which is from one of my favorite Indian director Dibakar Banerjee, and also "Love, Wrinkle-free" which is directed by a close friend of mine by the name Sandeep Mohan:)

Q: Anything you would like to say to our readers...

SM: I would like to invite them to see Love, Wrinkle-free on the 25th and let their friends know about it too. I can promise you that the way we have portrayed Goa, is unique and authentic, and is definitely something which you have not seen in Indian films for the last 10 years. More power to the truly indie films and look forward to seeing you guys at a PVR near your house soon. Take care and Never Give Up.

A write-up by me in madeaboutmoviez.com

Related Posts

• Love,Wrinkle-Free Movie Review
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“Love, Wrinkle-free – India’s first “Supaindie” movie!

Featured, Indie & Fest — By Admin on May 14, 2012 2:05 pm

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Being an Indie director is fun. You get to do a lot of things for very less pay. Which other profession gives you that pleasure. That is why I love this medium, I think. Even in the IPL, they forcibly pay you a lot of money just for sitting in the dugout and clapping. I don’t like IPL although I like cricket. Another reason that I’ve been avoiding IPL is because my labour of love for the last 2 years, my debut film, “Love, Wrinkle-free” is releasing on the 25th of May when the second Semi-final of the IPL takes place, you know what I mean…I have this feeling that if I don’t watch it, I can call this season of IPL a flop, and then more people turn up to watch my movie….you know what I mean…
So fellow assholes, sorry what are we, oh ok, so fellow students of life, according to me, Independent Films in India should be broadly divided into two categories – BigIndie and SupaIndie.
1. BigIndie: Independent Films produced by Studios. Usually with good budget. (BigIndie needs to be pronounced like Bhiwandi)
2. SupaIndie: Independent Films produced by individuals with micro-mini budget. I have named these kind of films as “SupaIndie” since the Director gets a chance to act like Superman and take on multiple responsibilities in them(Supaindie is inspired from that famous character from the Children’s magazine ‘Tinkle” – Supandi. So pronounce it that way).
“Love, Wrinkle-free”is a SupaIndiefilm – a fun-filled, light-hearted, refreshing take on Urban India’s obsession with good looks, smooth skin and youth. Staying in Vikhroli West, far away from the maddening “filmmaking is only my birth right” Bollywood crowd, I’ve managed to make a film with the help of some friends. Exactly 2 years back, I finished writing the final draft of Love, Wrinkle-free. Things looked very bleak, even for an indie-spirited never-say-die guy like me. But I followed a few crazy rules and now my debut movie is ready for release on the 25th of May. If a simple middle-class guy like me could do this, I am sure you can too…wherever you are in the country.
You should make your own rules, don’t listen to me if you don’t want to, but still sharing whatever worked for me.
“CRAZY WISDOM RULES FOR SUPAINDIE FILMMAKERS”
1. Don’t keep a beard. This way, you won’t think of yourself as the next Anurag Kashyap or Dibakar Banerjee. You will also retain some originality since you won’t be trying to be someone else. These guys are amazing directors because they have their own unique vision, and you don’t want to be second-rate versions of them. Better be a first rate version of yourself. So start saving, invest in a decent shaving razor and shave daily.
2. Stop smoking like a Chimney. Instead have Beer once a week. Since you cannot smoke Beer, it doesn’t cause passive smoking related illnesses in others, you don’t feel guilty, and more importantly, beer brings that “strange-silly” grin on your face, which is extremely critical if you want to be a Supaindie filmmaker.
3. You should shoot a minimum of 8 scenes a day. Your actors might want to murder you, but that “strange-silly” grin from Rule 2 will help you here. Before going to Rule 3, try that grin now. Just like in filmmaking or “making out”, the more you do it, the better you get at it.
4. 75% of your crew members should have acted in your film. Use them only for the roles of Junior Artistes. At times, it is important to show them their place. At other times, respect the hell out of them.
5. Directors should never travel in a car during the entire duration of the shoot. A Kinetic Honda or a two wheeler is allowed. (This way, the crew remains grounded and doesn’t ask for a BMW to transport them from the hotel to location)
6. No Vanity Van should be used for the entire duration of the shoot. Vanity and Supaindie don’t gel well, if you know what I mean…
7. You shouldn’t use a Track longer than 3 metres during the shoot. This rule comes in because that is all what he had in “Love, Wrinkle-free.”
8. You shouldn’t use Jimmy Jib, Crane or Steadicam for your shoot. Same reason as Rule 6.
9. You shouldn’t take more than 22 days to shoot your movie.
10. You should be the writer and director of the movie. I don’t know why, but it looks good when it comes in the title ‘Written and Directed by….”. Supaindie filmmakers should learn to enjoy the small pleasures of life.
11. Your marketing/promotional budget should not be more than 1/10th of your production budget. It can be lesser too, if your producer insists. Producers are the guys with the brains, and they might be having a reason to slash the budget, you know what I mean…
12. Your Editing machine should be in your home and not in some studio. That way you don’t have to buy too many Director-type T-shirts to wear to go to the Studio. Save that money to buy a Razor as mentioned in Rule 1. Don’t add this expense at any cost to your Post-production budget. Supaindiefilmmakers are honest people, and honesty gives them the strength to hold the beer mug high, remember that.
13. You should do the Casting in your movies on your own. That way, actors will be thankful to you and not some Casting Director who disappears before the shoot.
14. You should not use any Assistant Director for the entire duration of the Post-production, which would mean carrying the hard disks yourself to Pre-mix, Mix and D.I Studios. This way, you know what a 1 Terabyte Hard disk means or weighs and brings you literally in touch with your film on a daily basis.
15. No frontal nudity is allowed in a Supaindie movie. The only exception is when you are filming animals since they don’t normally wear clothes. Censor Board is getting more and more progressive these days and allows these nude animal shots, you know what I mean…
5 Bonus Tips for Supaindiefilmmakers:
1. A Supaindie director should be able to talk about any topic for a minimum of 5 minutes. Do intersperse your sentences with “you know what I mean…” after every 25 seconds, you know what I mean…
2. Supaindie directors should use these magic words “It’s required” to actors who offer too many suggestions while shooting. These words have a magical effect on them and they are charmed into letting you shoot peacefully.
3. A Supaindie director doesn’t differentiate between actors. Because all of them are Gods, and you should genuinely worship them.
4. A Supaindie director should have a wife/husband/parents who allows you to use the living room as a Pre-production office, with a few Assistants and Production guys roaming around, and making a mess of your already messy house.
5. A Supaindie director should do Surya Namaskars daily. This will keep the beer belly to a manageable size, and makes you look reasonably fit when you go begging for funds for your next Supaindie movie.
Love, Wrinkle-free and all the best. These are humble suggestions. Me no expert. Make your own Rules. Do push yourself to go and watch India’s first Supaindie movie “Love, Wrinkle-free” when it releases on the 25th of May.

An article in The Indian Express...

Love, Wrinkles & Goa

Somya Lakhani Adman Sandeep Mohan's debut as a filmmaker comes with the critically acclaimed film — Love, Wrinkle Free — that deals with the issues of old-age pregnancy and ageing. It was while working as an assistant director with Sanjay Leela Bhansali on the sets of Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam that 21-year-old Sandeep Mohan realised that he was not meant for such mammoth-sized cinematic projects. “I learnt discipline and paper work. That was the greatest lesson,” he says. Soon, Mohan realized that he wanted to make tighter, smaller human stories and till he had anything concrete in hand, he dabbled in advertising.  Almost 13 years later, Mohan - the filmmaker (not the adman) is marking his debut with a witty, light-hearted film that has a serious theme. Love, Wrinkle free is due for release in India on May 25 . Set in Goa, the film is about Monteiros, a middle-aged couple dealing with the wife's old-age pregnancy, and fighting age issues at the same time. “We live in a world that is obsessed with looks and youth. This film is about how a middle-class family deals with such obsession,” says Mohan.  Annie, in her forties, (played by Shernaz Patel) has only one dream – to be a part of the church choir that only wants youngsters to sing. Stand-up comedian Ash Chandler plays Savio, Annie’s 37-year-old husband, who wants to start his own business of "edible lingerie" and the two live with their adopted teenage daughter, Ruth, whose main concern is her Tibetan looks. “Annie is coming to terms with growing older – holding on to a younger husband and fighting wrinkles, literally. And when she figures out that she is pregnant, she feels that she is young, and young enough to be part of the choir too,” says Patel.  The trailers are a treat. The film has been shot in picturesque and cliché-free locales of Goa such as Arambol and Ashwem beach, while the music is refreshingly contemporary and very Goan. “I know Goa very well and I wanted to show it in the most authentic way possible, away from its typical representation,” says Mohan, who shot the film in 22 days on a very tight budget of Rs 85 lakh.  Taken to various film festivals across the world – Cine Quest Film Festival, San Jose; MAMI, Mumbai; IIFF Tampa Bay, Florida and Marche Du Film, Cannes Film Fest – the film has generated positive reviews overall. “People have come out smiling and we have had house-full situations at a number of fests,” adds Mohan.  However, it’s Chandler who seems most excited. “In New York, after the film's screening, a gentleman asked me how I was related to the project. I was amazed that people did not associate with me the persona of Savio, since I am mostly looked at as a stand-up artiste. This is my first lead role in a film and it was challenging because I have to be consistently good; you can’t have just one moment of glory,” he says.

An article in The Hindu....

Love in the time of wrinkles

 

• 
  Arika, Shernaz Patel and Ash Chandler in a still from 'Love, Wrinkle Free'
• 
  Sandeep Mohan

Pitched as an ‘anti-ageing comedy', Sandeep Mohan's ‘Love, Wrinkle Free' is a quirky indie film about relationships.

Director Sandeep Mohan and producer Giju John are like two-man army. They haven't hired a PR machinery to pitch their labour of love, quirkily titled Love, Wrinkle Free. From sending e-mails to taking the call on production nitty-gritty, they have shared the onus between them. “The experience has been worthwhile and I learnt a lot from it, even though it was strenuous,” says Sandeep Mohan, speaking to us on the eve of the film's release. Love, Wrinkle Free opened to good reviews in Mumbai, Delhi and a few other cities and is expected to be released in Hyderabad soon.

Sandeep is one of the newest additions to the growing list of indie filmmakers who want to tell their story their way. Love, Wrinkle Free is Sandeep Mohan's comment on society, its obsession with anti-ageing solutions, told through a tale of relationships. “The story is my reaction to things that I saw around me. I saw youngsters, who didn't actually require makeup, taking to heavy makeup and ending up looking older than they are. And there were older women who were addicted to makeup hoping it would make them look younger,” says Sandeep. The cosmetic comment is just one part of the film, which is set in Goa and narrates the story of Savio (Ash Chandler), his wife Annie (Shernaz Patel) and their adopted daughter Ruth (Arika Silaichia) and their reaction to Annie's unplanned pregnancy.

Shernaz Patel was the first to come on board before Sandeep signed on Ash Chandler, Seema Rahmani and Arika Silaichia. “We didn't have a casting director. I happened to meet Ash Chandler and spoke to him for a few hours. The passion towards his work and the fact that he was unaware of how funny he was (despite his much-appreciated stand-up comedy acts) made him endearing. He had to be my Savio. He and Shernaz brought in all their experiences to the film. Shernaz was my sounding board. She is a terrific actress and under utilised in cinema,” says Sandeep.

While shooting for the film in Goa, Sandeep discovered his ability to multi-task, driven by necessity. As with most indie films, this project too was shot on a show-string budget (money was pooled in through crowd funding) and it was tough to hire too many assistants. At one point, Sandeep was checking up on hotels for the crew's stay in Goa. “All this experience will help me,” he says.

The film was wrapped up by the end of 2010 and then got selected for Mumbai International Film Festival, followed by Cinequest Film Festival in San Jose and South Asian International Film Festival in New York among others.

Sandeep smiles when he looks back. A few years ago, he was a drifter and a confused one at that. “I was 21 and I tried to do many things,” he says. He worked for a firm that produced a current affairs programme for Zee Television, before moving to advertising and finally to movies. He was one of the assistant directors for Sanjay Leela Bhansali in Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam. “I learnt discipline from Bhansali. I didn't have formal training in filmmaking. I learnt on the job, first with Bhansali and then by working on music videos and corporate films. I realised that when I make my own films, I would be comfortable narrating personal, human relationship stories than larger-than-life stories,” he says.

With Love, Wrinkle Free out in cinema halls, Sandeep wants to step up work on his next project. “I want to finish the script and begin work by December,” he says.

An article in The Hindu...

Funny folds

• 
  From 'Love, Wrinkle-free'
• 
  Sandeep Mohan

interview Independent filmmaker Sandeep Mohan's debut comic film Love, Wrinkle-free holds a mirror to our obsession with good looks

Drinking more red wine and less beer apart, directing a feature film topped Sandeep Mohan's resolutions for the year 2010. As a young writer, who had assisted Sanjay Leeela Bhansali on Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam and had written the script of popular TV show ‘Siddhanth', India's nominee to the 2007 Emmy Awards, Sandeep was not clueless about the process of filmmaking but had to gear up for the many challenges. Foremost was finance but perseverance helped the film come through.

Curiously titled Love, Wrinkle-free, which will release on May 25, Sandeep's debut effort stars Ash Chandler, Shernaz Patel, Seema Rahmani and Ashwin Mushran. Set in Goa, Love, Wrinkle-free is a story about Savio, a 38-year-old senior area sales manager who works in an innerwear company. Savio's mundane life gets hit by a bolt from the blue with the unplanned pregnancy of his 46-year-old religious wife Annie. Their adopted teenage daughter Ruth's reactions to this pregnancy and Savio's chance meeting with Natalie, a travel photographer, who wants him to do something unique for her, throws the protagonist off-balance.

In this day and age when corporate funding and big banners/production houses are de rigueur, ask Sandeep why he chose to make an independent film and pat comes the reply, “Having worked as a writer for a few years, I realised that the only way I could get creative control over the film is by going independent. As a writer-director, I bring in my own unique vision based on my life-experiences, and I wanted to stay true to it while telling the story. So in that sense, the decision to go independent was taken even before I wrote the script of Love, Wrinkle-free.”

The story, Sandeeps adds is purely fictional. “My job as the director was to make it believable which I think I have managed to.” Explaining the name of the film, he says, Love, Wrinkle-free is a reaction to urban Indian society's obsession to look young and have a flawless complexion.

Sandeep claims that this is one of the better movies made about Goa in the last 10 years. “Goa is shown the way it is and not as seen through the eyes of a tourist. Love, Wrinkle-free is an entertaining film, made with a lot of heart, and sensible audiences are going to come out smiling from the cinema halls,” he says.

Getting a talented star cast was another challenge. “The casting was done by me. I got in touch with Ash, Shernaz, Seema, Ashwin and Sohrab, and after reading the script, they were so keen to do the film that I didn't have to do too much convincing. I always wanted these actors, and their performances are the highpoint of this comedy.”

And social media chipped in when Sandeep required finances.

“Crowd Funding, as they call it is a boon for people like me. Forty investors from all over the world invested in this film. Since none of these investors get involved in the creative process, it helps you tell a good story,” he says.

Sandeep will soon begin work on his next film based in Himachal Pradesh.

Interview in Scribidomagazine...link

http://scribidomagazine.com/the-sandeep-mohan-interview/

Interview in movieroundup.in

Exclusive Interview: Sandeep Mohan on ‘Love, Wrinkle-free’

Life has been the biggest teacher and I remember the time spent in schools and colleges as time spent making friends and accumulating life experiences. Beyond that, I think the educational system is programmed to churn out rats who will join the rat race. It abhors those who have an imaginative mind and who have a mind of their own. I’ve heard that things are changing now and I’m hopeful of the future, says Sandeep Mohan, director of upcoming film ‘Love, Wrinkle-free’ in an exclusive interview with ‘MovieRoundup’.

When did you realize you wanted to be a filmmaker and why?

I didn’t know that I wanted to be a filmmaker till I was 21. I had an interest in writing and reading and used to write a bit. Also advertising excited me and slowly I found myself gravitating towards good movies. Can’t remember an exact time when this accident happened

How did your family react to your decision of becoming a filmmaker?

I take my own decisions. I don’t have to ask my family what I need to do in life. Isn’t that what colleges are supposed to do – to make you sensible enough to take decisions in life. My parents were smart enough to leave me alone realising that this is where my heart lies. I thank them for that.

So many filmmakers have come and gone. Did you ever fear that you may also be one among them?

I don’t have any such fears. Everyone in this world comes and goes. So the rule applies to everyone, not just filmmakers. I’m happy observing life, writing stories and filming them. The only thing that can stop you is yourself. Frankly I’m a positive guy who thinks about what is possible and don’t devote time to many negative thoughts.

How did the story behind ‘Love, wrinkle-free’ fall in place?

When I look around, I see that Urban Indians are getting more and more obsessed with looks, youth and smooth skin. A country that prided so much on the “internal growth” once upon a time is falling prey to”external” – look at the number of health clubs, skin clinics etc mushrooming around us. I wanted to explore this theme, and also the pressure that youth and looks places on a simple middle-class family, and that is how”Love, Wrinkle-free” was born.

Your film title ‘Love, Wrinkle-free’ and the plot pretty much go hand-in-hand however not all films follow the same. Do you think the title and plot should go hand-in-hand and why?

I can’t comment about others, but for me, it has to go hand-in-hand. The title promises something, so it makes sense for me to keep it as close in toneto the theme.

After having worked in films such as Sins and Good Night / Good Morning; how was it working with Seema Rahmani? How do you define her as an actress?

She is one of the most natural actresses in India and I was super impressed with her performance in Love, Wrinkle-free. She is a no-nonsense, intelligent and well-traveled actress and she brings all this experience to any role that she does. I am happy to have got an opportunity to direct her in my first movie. Also I’m glad that our ensemble cast of Ash Chandler, Shernaz Patel, Ashwin Mushran, Sohrab Ardeshir and Arika have done a fabulous job and Love, Wrinkle-free works big time because of them.

What challenges did you encounter in making this project take off?

Many challenges. Another name for indie filmmaking is ‘Challenges’ i think:)Right from getting the funds to casting to getting locations to marketing, everything is a challenge. In my case, my producers were based in the US, andhence I had the added responsibility of taking care of the Production of the movie. So my house became the Production office and from here, my dedicated team went about the pre production. I went to Goa countless times to get thingsorganised. All this really helped us keep the budget very tight. But frankly, I have no complains, i knew it was going to be challenging, and hence was prepared for it. So it is all fine and I thank my investors and everyone involved for trusting me with so much responsibility.

How do you define success for a filmmaker? Monetary or credentials or sheer satisfaction at the end of the day for having completed the film. Define it in your own words?

Each filmmaker has his or her own way of defining success. Success for me is being able to get funds to make my next film. Rest doesn’t matter, or it will fall into place. Passion drives me and if i am financially covered while following this passion, nothing like it. Otherwise, I will still fight it out. Frankly, I don’t like to define things. Each to himself or herself. Defining it makes it look too easy and formulaic, and I am no expert to define.
If you were to remake any film then which film would you have chosen and why?
I am not interested in making any remakes since I have many original stories. Sometimes i think that I might die before I am able to film all of them. So remakes, I will leave it to other filmmakers who have an interest in them.
There are zillions of aspiring filmmakers wanting to make it big. What will be your advice to them?

Follow your heart. Don’t get swayed by what I say or any other filmmaker says. Be independent, write a good script which has a heart, don’t follow any formulas, and go ahead and do it. If me, a simple middle class guy from Vikhroli can do it, you can too. Also do go and watch Love, Wrinkle-free on the 25th May and see how low budget movies are made

Rapid Fire:
Favourite film: Annie  Hall
Favourite actor: Paul Giammeti, Owen Wilson
Favourite director: Woody Allen
One actor/director you envy: Woody Allen
One film you’d love to be part of: Annie Hall

Interview for Dearcinema.com

This interview first came in dearcinema.com and Nandita Dutta was the interviewer...

 

Love, Wrinkle-free is crowd funded project: Sandeep Mohan

Sandeep Mohan

After travelling to festivals like South Asian International Film Festival, New York and Mumbai Film Festival (MAMI), Sandeep Mohan’s Love, Wrinkle-free released in theatres this Friday (Read review). The director talks about his film which rightly claims to be an ‘offbeat, light-hearted story about love going beyond cosmetic barriers’.
How did the idea for Love, Wrinkle-free originate?
While traveling and hanging out in cafes, I noticed that we Indians are getting extremely obsessed with the “external”. There are more Skin Clinics and Botox Centres and Hair transplant “dens” than Dustbins in cities. Also, this is a country that prided itself on the “internal” and gave the world Yoga and what not.
I felt that the pressure to retain youth for a longer period of time, with headlines like ‘40 is the new 30’ and ‘50 is the new 40’ does start to put a lot of pressure on families and I wanted to explore this theme through my film. It is not that I wanted to be judgmental, but I was amused and wanted to explore it deeper. I took the light hearted route since that is something that comes to me easily and also because I believe that you can strike home the point better when humor is used effectively. I hope I have been reasonably successful in that endeavor.
How did you go about looking for finance for your debut film?
Love, Wrinkle-free is a crowd-funded project. Once the script was locked, I along with my producers Giju and Kamal put up a website and invited likeminded, indie-spirited investors(that is kind of difficult) to support this movie. Over a period of time, things started rolling and soon we had just enough to start production. Step by step, we have managed to get just enough funds to release the film. Also we kept the whole process very transparent and professional with the investors which I think they found endearing and they have been very supportive. Also, we kept our budget very tight and finished the shooting in Goa in 22 days.
What has been your learning while making your debut film independently?
The biggest learning I have had after making this movie is that “I don’t know anything”. Going forward, as I make more movies, I look forward to using this to an advantage. Because sometimes knowing too much and becoming an expert can hamper. I would prefer to remain “clueless” about a lot of things so that I am not scared of jumping into the deep end even in my second film. Also I learned that as an indie filmmaker, you have to drive and lead the film yourself. Also lead by example. I learned a lot in these last 2 years and also unlearned a lot more in this 2 years…so let’s see where my life’s journey takes me from here…all I know is that I want to keep it adventurous….
Where did you get the idea for ‘edible lingerie’? Did it work in your favor while pitching it to producers or did it seem too much of a risk?
While writing the script, I didn’t let any other thoughts like which producer to pitch this script to, creep into me. I just wrote what excited me. Whatever themes that I wanted to explore at that phase in life, I have weaved it into the script. As for edible lingerie, I thought it is kind of interesting since I have always believed that we Indians are big time kinky except we don’t talk about it because of the fear that “what will our families think of us?” Also, underwear is something people hide, and don’t talk about and I think it shakes people out of their comfort zone when you talk about it upfront without getting sleazy…

The film has an interesting cast. Tell us about your choice of actors. All my actors be it Ash Chandler, Shernaz Patel, Seema Rahmani, Ashwin Mushran, Sohrab Ardeshir, Arika, Dasang, Marianne…everyone of them gave me a lot of their time. That was one criterion. I needed time with them to work on the characters. Also it helped that all of them were intelligent and well-traveled and brought a lot of their experience into the movie. I am happy I got to work with these actors and they all have become friends for life.
Also a special word of mention to my editor Shreyas Beltangdy, my DOP Binendra Menon, My Sound Designer Ravidev Singh, Art Director Pradipta Ray….all these guys and my entire team went out of the way to pull off this indie film.
Any interesting incident related to the making of the film?
In fact, the non-seasonal rains in Goa during our 22-day shoot really kept us on our toes. My entire team would be praying that it doesn’t rain, and then it rains. So finally I had to make the decision to keep going and thus rain has found its way into Love, Wrinkle-free. This is probably what they call as the magic of cinema: Be open to anything…
What are you working on next?
I have a few scripts with me, but the one theme that I want to explore the most would be my next film. I want to start it by December this year.
Tell us about your background.
I grew up in Trivandrum, Kerala. Then, I moved to Mumbai when I was 21 and assisted Mr. Bhansali on Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam. After which I left for Bangalore, joined advertising as a Copywriter, worked in close to 25 companies since I was this restless sort of guy, then came back to Mumbai and started writing weekly TV shows with Abhinav Kashyap, after which I started independently directing music videos, corporate films, shorts etc. before moving into my first feature.

This blog was written for moifightclub a few days before the release:

 

Sandeep Mohan’s Love, Wrinkle-free : Left brain VS Right brain

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Sandeep Mohan‘s directoral debut, an indie feature titled Love, Wrinkle-free is releasing this friday.  It stars Ash Chandler, Shernaz Patel, Seema Rahmani, Sohrab Ardeshir, Ashwin Mushran, Marianne Borgo, Arika Silaichia, Giju John and Theron Carmine.

Making an independent film is a difficult task for sure. But releasing it is almost impossible. Thanks to PVR Directors Rare section, the film is getting a limited release. But what is the director thinking? Will he survive? Over to a casual conversation between his Right Brain (RB) and Left Brain (LB).

LEFT RIGHT LOVE WRINKLE FREE…

Right Brain Sandeep (RB):

Hey bugger, heard that your movie Love, Wrinkle-free is releasing today or something?

Left Brain Sandeep(LB):

Yeah man, labour of love of 2 years…

RB:

…even I have a story….you wanna listen…see it is about racism, discrimination between white dogs and black dogs…

LB:

Not today ya…you know, I worked bloody hard on Love, Wrinkle-free for 2 years..do you even know what that means…two fucking years of my youth…

RB:

ok, now you are telling me that you are in your youth?!!

LB:

See, precisely why i wanted to make Love, Wrinkle-free…how can one stay young forever…why this obsession to photoshop every damn wrinkle out of your butt..i mean why…

RB:

but why blame Adobe Photoshop bugger…they are not like some Taliban…

LB:

love, wrinkle-free is for people like you…Seriously man, Love, Wrinkle-free is the Hyderabad Blues of this generation…

RB:

it is good to be an optimist, but don’t be stupid bugger…

LB:

What stupid…If a middle class guy like me could make a movie, things are changing in india and Indian films…

RB:

Yeah but the roads to the Love, Wrinkle-free theatres are full of craters…

LB:

Fuck roads ya…roads will soon be obsolete…helicopters will be the norm…people will go to watch movies in helicopters soon…

RB thinks about it…

RB:

Are you planning to make a Love, Wrinkle-free part 2

LB gives him a cold stare…

LB:

i hate sequels…the only sequel i liked was Waisa Bhi hota hai part 2! in any case, does life have a sequel?

RB:

deepak chopra thinks so…

LB (ignoring him):

…the reviews have just started coming in yaar…

RB:

Does it matter if they say good or bad…you still have to take care of your 2 year old daughter when your wife goes to work tomorrow no?

LB (ignoring it again):

The initial reviews have been pretty good…

RB:

Come bugger, don’t stress yourself, let’s go and have a fruit salad now

LB:

Here I am talking of my dreams, and you are thinking of Fruit Salad?!!!

RB:

…why can’t you dream of Angelica Jolie’s bee stung lips instead?!

LB:

Movies are my passion idiot…passion…you know what that word means?!!! Bee stung lips it seems?!

RB:

Eating fruit salad is my passion…what is wrong?!

LB:

…my movie, I am setting her free today to be judged by the world….i feel naked…

RB:

Put on some edible lingerie….

LB smacks RB on his head.

LB: i hope…Word of mouth is going to take Love, Wrinkle-free to a lot of people. It is a fun film man…and there have been so few fun films in the indie space…

RB(Moaning):

Who do you think you are…some kinda indie-saint to spread happiness all around…anyways, don’t worry, not many know about your movie? There is not even a bloody hoarding…even underwear companies have hoardings these days

LB:

Love, Wrinkle-free is not an underwear…it is my movie…my dream can’t be hung up there in some bloody hoarding for all and sundry to stare at…

RB:

You are losing it bugger, big time you are losing it…

LB:

I can feel it…lakhs of people are waiting for the Box Office to open tomorrow, and just like when the new version of the iPhone hits the stores, there will be a stampede to buy tickets…I can feel it…there is like a love, wrinkle-free wave out there…

RB(looks around):

Where?!

LB feels the air around him. Closes his eyes

LB:

Feel it…and you can feel it only when you stop talking…

RB closes his eyes and tries hard to feel it

RB:

..ok ok…now let’s go…even your bloody uncle Woody Allen never said that you can’t have feni or fruit salad on the day of the release..

LB:

Watch your words!!! And don’t get Woody Allen into this mess man…

RB:

…Everyone should pick their own nose….or Everyone should wear their own underwear

LB:

What is that?!

RB:

i have quotes too…like Allen

LB:

Allen is classy man…you are cheap…

RB:

Hey how are you guys related?!

LB gives him that look….and walks away hurt

RB:

Bugger, I was just kidding of course,…chill ..where are you going?

LB:

I am going home…I think I have some edible lingerie at home…i am starving…

RB:

Got some feny?

LB nods. RB runs after him and joins him…

RB:

…you did your best bugger…put your heart, soul, brain and groin into the film, now let’s have some feni and edible…whatever that thingy is…, dig into your next script, and soon you will be into your second film mode….c’mon man…this is the 21st century, you gotta be cool..

EXPERTS ARE FUNNY PEOPLE AND SHOULD WATCH “LOVE, WRINKLE-FREE” AND RELAX A BIT!

April 13, 2012 By EDITOR Leave a Comment

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I should be chewing my nails nervously since my first film as a Writer-Director is releasing in 40 days(on the 25th of May). But I am not chewing it since I have never enjoyed the taste of nails, though I have heard that it is an acquired taste. Another thing that I have never enjoyed is ‘expert opinion’. I can’t help but smile when I hear an expert – be it in films or cricket. I always find them funny.

In my profession, as an independent-spirited scriptwriter-director, I come across a lot of Experts. These are folks who talk so well that you wonder what they are doing in films. They would give Rahul Gandhi a run for his mom’s money if they joined politics. Also an amazing thing about these experts is that they know exactly “what does not work”, but not “what works”. If you ever get to meet one, mostly they reside in Andheri West, watch them speak passionately about why it is critical that your first film is a ‘safe’ one. They also smartly let you know that once you are more established, you can then make the movie that you always wanted to. Of course they don’t factor in for lifestyle diseases like Diabetes, Cancer, BP, High Cholesterol, and road accidents that have been known to play spoil sport with these plans. When I told them that the Mumbai potholes remind me of my wrinkles and impending death, and I wanted to make a few not-so-safe movies that I believed in, before one of these nicely designed potholes takes my life, they laughed at my ignorance. Experts laugh at ignorant people for a living. I love it when humans laugh. Even when the experts laugh, they look almost human to me. The sound of laughter is always a stress-buster. These experts need it the most. I hope they watch Love, Wrinkle-free, smile and go home happy.

Love, Wrinkle-free is a light-hearted comedy about how Urban Indian society is getting more and more obsessed with looks and smooth skin. I will be honest when I say that if not for these Experts, “Love, Wrinkle-free” wouldn’t have happened. I will always respect them for being so consistently negative since it used to have the opposite effect on me. Right from school days, I have believed that authority is to be rebelled against. Rebellion is fun. For a cause or for no cause. And naysayers like these guys had a role to play in pushing me, a simple middle-class guy staying in Vikhroli West, to try the impossible – to go ahead, raise funds, cast, negotiate, scout locations, get together a like-minded team, and direct my feature film. Adding to the experts’ worries, I wanted to make an Indian English movie. Recipe for Perfect Suicide, they said. I relaxed; at least I managed to extract one positive word from them “Perfect”.

Walking around in cities, and cities are where I have grown up all my life, be it Trivandrum (peaceful but limiting), Mumbai (crazy but potholes worry me), Bangalore (beer, girls and advertising days) or Pune(loneliness), I saw that the world around me was evolving very fast, but the movies and movie makers were mostly unable to keep pace with these changes. I remember closely watching advertising commercials and wondering how these guys are able to get it so right – the right language, the right casting, the right tone, so in touch with the times we are living in. They had their ears on the ground. Unlike in the film world. Here, the producer moves from his home to office to locations to home in cars without his feet touching the ground for more than a few steps. At times I wonder, it would be fun to find out as to how many steps they actually walk in a day. They might be walking more on their treadmill than on the ground. So that should possibly explain the lack of grounded scripts getting their investment!

So we should not be too surprised that Goa is shown the way it is in Hindi films. Goa for many of these “Experts” is a getaway to a world full of bikini-babes, free sex, drinks and drugs. When in Goa, these guys worry about the sun, their wrinkle-free complexion, and rent cars. Renting a car to escape the sun in Goa when you came all the way to bask in it and have some fun! So like I said earlier, these are seriously funny people. Except they are yet to realise this themselves!

Except Kabhi Ha Kabhi Na, and a few other films, can we think of any other movie that got the world of Goa right in the last 10-15 years? It has been my dream to make a Goan movie, and do justice to it. So I listened to my heart, used the collective power of my indie heart, brains and groins to write and direct a Goan movie. This fun-movie is releasing through PVR Directors Rare at a PVR near you. Please do go watch it and let me know what you think of it. The micro-mini budget and the 22 days of shooting didn’t stop us from bringing out a Goa which you would have never seen in Indian movies in the last 10 years.

Now, the Experts say, why make films in English in India? Britishers have left long back. I realised that too. In Love, Wrinkle-free, we used English since the characters are mostly from the Roman Catholic world. And they speak this language there. No rocket science! Also, I google searched and found that India has the second largest English speaking population in the whole world. And an Indian English newspaper, Times of India, is the largest circulated English language newspaper in the whole world. Not to forget the amount of ad commercials that is made in English. The reason one makes a film in Indian English is because many of us speak and understand this language. We might speak with an accent, but the fact is we get it and are moved emotionally, provided the story-telling is Indian. Love, Wrinkle-free is an Indian indie film in Indian English. Let the funny experts stick to their opinion, but the truth is that there are a sizable number of people who would not mind watching a well-made, fun-filled, entertaining Indian English film. That is my belief. If we had more advertising funds,we would have created more awareness about the movie. But I refuse to complain. I am thankful that my first movie is getting released. I am happy.

So the point of this blog is this. Do listen to the experts in the film world and in the media with a smile when they say why something “won’t work”. And use your own brains and heart, and come watch “Love, Wrinkle-free” in the first 3 days of its release. I can guarantee that you and your friends will have a fun time and will come out of the theatre with a smile on your face. Take care, rebel against experts, chew your nails only if you like it (and not because they say it improves your sperm count!). And yes, Love, Wrinkle-free always…Now see you on the 25th May at a PVR near you
Visit www.lovewrinklefree.com for more info.