Navjyot Bandiwadekar

“With my short film Quarter starring Girija Oak,I wanted to dispel the myth to the world that India is not a land of snake charmers"

Jyothi Venkatesh

Navjyot Bandiwadekar who studied filmmaking in Los Angeles and made a short film called Quarter after having made two short films earlier-Emma and Flawless tells JYOTHI VENKATESH that he has a passion for making short films and is happy that his film Quarter which was showcased at Cannes Film Festival in 2018 has come out on youtube yesterday.

Why did you set out to make short films like Emma and Flawless earlier and Quarter now instead of making feature films in Marathi?

I did not want to stretch the story to 90 minutes and make Quarter as a feature film, because you cannot stretch every film to 90 minutes and make it as a feature film. Short films tell you the story of the moment. To move a person in 30 seconds or 3 hours is possible only when you make a short film. It is not that feature films are not working or I am averse to making feature films. I am working on a parallel level on making a feature films too but you need a lot of financial backing to do that

You have been making many commercials too.

Yes Though I have been also making many commercial films, they do not at all give me the commercial high that a feature film can give a filmmaker.

You have made two short films earlier-Emma and Flawless.

Emma was about the struggle of a couple in New York whereas Flawless was about an aspiring actress in Broadway who has a disfiguring scar on her face who uses magic. It is about her struggle to accept her own self in life

How did the idea of making Quarter germinate?

When a friend of mine told me that he had written the story and I heard it, I felt that it could be made as a short film.

Why did you set out to make it with a known face like Girija Oak instead of a rank new comer?

I wanted to make my short film with a not so well known actor instead of a known actor because at the end of the day, the market of short films is opening up only slowly and steadily. If I make a film with a new comer, it will only go to festivals and there is no guarantee that the audience will be able to see it.

In how many days was Quarter shot and what is the budget of the film?

The film was shot in two nights at a friend’s apartment on a shoestring budget. It is made in English and Marathi.

How tough was it for you to cast the protagonist in your short film?

When I wrote the script and developed the screenplay and the character of the protagonist, I felt that I needed a certain kind of actor. Frankly, I did approach a couple of actors in Bollywood and even told them In was ready to make it in any language in which they are comfortable whether Hindi or Marathi or English but could not lock them in, because of date constraints.

How did you finally zero in on Girija Oak Godbole for your role?

Though a couple of actresses told me that they did not want to take a risk and do a role which had several layers Fortunately, Girija agreed to be part of my film and we decided to make it . She fits the bill, as she is an exceptional actor who is courageous enough to do risky and bold roles.

What does your short film set out to drive home?

Basically the film sets out to talk about addiction though I am not trying to give a social message asking people to stop smoking or drinking because addiction is a part of life though on a social level, we have decided that v smoking or drinking coffee or alcohol is bad and hence a kind of an addiction. TillI made my film, I never realised that I was addicted to tea.

Is there a market for short films today?

Today people want to make short films  only with known actors and release it on line but I did not set out to make a short film just to recover my money back but ton release it bat various film festivals. I make short films to tell a story. Though there is a market for short films in the West, unfortunately in India, there is no market at all to release your short film in theatres and you can release it online in websites.

How would you describe the Marathi film scenario today?

Today, the fact is that the Marathi film audience is more matured than even the Bollywood audiences. You need to show to the world that we can make content driven films for the world market as Marathi Cinema is at a point where a Marathi filmmaker can proudly say that the industry is at a level where even a new filmmaker can afford to experiment to the hilt with good content, like Elizabeth Ekadashi, Qilla, Court etc.

What next?

I am seeing myself doing International films in English for international audiences including Chinese, Australians etc, with Indian actors and show the beautiful side of India instead of showing only the ugly side of India like Slumdog Millionaire did because Indian is not a land of snake charmers as perceived by non-Indians. We need to show to the world that we can indeed make content driven films.