Not content with exhorting you to rise from apathetic slumber and watch that barely appreciated gem of recent memory Hulla , Kvltsite now brings you a massive no-holds-barred face-to-face with the man behind it - Jaideep Varma. Now, without further ado...The Interview!

People in advertising are often told to 'go make a film' when they come up with ideas considered too bizarre or inventive. Is this still as creatively satisfying as it used to be?

Don’t know what you mean by “as it used to be”. Films have always been as good as the money that makes them. Sometimes the mind controlling the purse strings does not interfere in the creative process and usually a better film results from that. In Hulla’s case, that did happen - though there were huge frustrations in other logistical and budgetary ways, the creative product is pretty much exactly as I wanted it. Though I do think the “return on investment” mindset is more prevalent in the corporate mindset, and since that has increased, yes, it is tougher to make “inventive” or original films now. Also because the media in its thoroughly dumbed down avatar does not respond to originality either, it makes it very difficult for original material to thrive. It takes a great amount of luck, I guess.
 

Is a truly independent film feasible in this country, one where a film-maker's vision is not compromised?

Internationally, independent film technically really means something that is financed outside the studio system. This is not really relevant to India yet (as there are hardly any studios in that sense); here it means small films with no stars and more cutting edge material. By those parameters, films are getting made – Hulla is definitely one of them too. They don’t get compromised often, simply because the budget is too small to motivate that kind of interference from the producer. He is assured of his money back regardless. But these films have a tough task in finding their audience as in the absence of decent promotional budgets, sensible reviewers in the media and then the impatience of distributors and exhibitors looking to maximize all the time, these films come and go before anyone even gets to hear of it. Hulla, for example, had shows being canceled just ONE day after it was released, which was quite shocking. Also, the bizarre luxury viewing that multiplexes are encouraging, with absolutely ridiculous ticket prices (Rs 180 was the lowest ticket price in the multiplexes I went to in Mumbai), is severely detrimental to any kind of new ideas, I feel, which will eventually lead to highly unimaginative, safe cinema. So, the term “multiplex film” is a big joke actually.
 
In the US, test audiences have always been a huge factor in deciding everything from whether a film gets released to the cut that gets screened. Is it likely to start happening in India as well? What sort of an impact will it have?

This test audience phenomenon in the US is a studio concept, it is not prevalent in India. Things are bad enough here, why would you wish them to be even worse? It would be a terrible thing to happen because as usual we would do this thing shabbily and superficially (as it happens in the so-called “advertising market research” – I speak from personal experience here), which would make things even more complicated and misleading. Besides, new ideas have no chance in systems like these. We’re struggling so much in the originality area anyway, why would you even THINK of something like this???