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.