Delving into creativity - Tehelka review

Dear Mr Arvind Gigoo

Glad, you found the book significant. Happy, you shared your opinion too with us.

Your ‘personal grudge’ against the question ‘message for the youths’, (youth), yes, the work done by an artist can/may and not necessarily nor mandatory be his/her message. Many directors do not make movies for ‘messages’. They make movies simply because they want to tell a story. Period.

And for those who made films to send out a message, even one unintentional, I would consider them ‘messages’ "in the past". Every human, including a director, will evolve and his or her message, if any, in his art, may change with time. I wanted to capture their message at the time of writing the book. One beyond the stories they narrated in the past. Moreover, art, like a movie too, is an experience of the human spirit. Nor necessarily a message from the creator. Though the spectator of the art can receive one on viewing and even experiencing it.

Moreover, when I read books of similar nature in the past, I would always be curious to know what the director would have to say to me about life in general beyond their movies from the past. Many film people and non-film people would seek a ‘message’ from my father, a lyricists they loved, for themselves as they were beginning their career in films or other fields. His songs, his art, from the past was not good enough for them, they wanted to hear his current advice to them. His past work was maybe not enough for them to get some messages from.

As for applying ‘preparation, perseverance and patience’ to ‘the art interviewing’, I had edited interviews of 20-25000 words of each director. I interviewed nearly 28 over 4 years. The publisher was keen to publish interviews of 8000 words, and showcase at least 12 directors in one volume, so that the book can be made available at a price (less than Rs 350) affordable by the masses. I scaled 25,000 words down to 8000 for each. And rightly so. When I interviewed them, I learnt from nearly every interview and applied the lessons to the subsequent ones. Now, I will learn from the feedback that comes my way, thanks to reviews like yours too, and hope to develop my skills, and the craft, to the level of an art. Thank you.

I am hoping that though someone may find a few clichés, (clichés work, that is why they are termed clichés) I hope our book (‘our’ because she was written by 13 directors and myself) is a revelation not only of the meaning of the art, the book, (any book is a work of art too), but also a revelation of the soul and spirit of the directors. And through this the reader, the spectator and audience of this art, book, gets an insight into his or her own spirit, soul, life.

I liked your review, Mr Gigoo, thank you. Hope we can meet someday and chat over the same and other things as passionately. Warm regards.

Rakesh.

Here is Mr Arvind Gigoo's review that appeared in the Tehelka (weekly) :)  July 3 - 11 2015