It’s a great feeling to be among the best: Sanjay Singh

Film-maker Sanjay Singh is a very happy man. His debut film Udaan (produced along with film-maker Anurag Kashyap and directed by Vikram Motwane) has been selected for the Cannes Film Festival. It will be screened in the Un Certain Regard section of the festival.

Sanjay says, “I’ve been walking on air since I heard we made it to Cannes. It’s a great feeling to be among the best worldwide. It’s all the more special because it’s the first effort for both Vikram (the director) and me.”

Ask him as a producer what kind of movies does he want to support, and he says, “I don’t want to get into the tag of ‘commercial’ or ‘art’. A good film is a good film. If it can tell a story, entertain the audience and deliver a message that will bring hope or inspire something, then the film deserves to be supported. I want to support good, real cinema.”

Sanjay’s mature thinking towards cinema is reflected further when he adds, “I want to work with good scripts. Whoever fits the role best would be my choice of actor — it could be either be a star or a newcomer.”

Sanjay’s own story is a rags-to-riches one. He lived life the hard way in the slums for 25 years. From there he became a national level basketball player and a pilot. Family financial concerns led him to dabble in a construction business that proved successful.
Motivated by his Cannes success, he has launched his production house and embarked on his next film, also being directed by another Cannes festival winner — Mahesh Jha.

Sanjay says, “The film is called Mountain Man. It’s the story of a man who goes through a tremendous personal tragedy and instead of being beaten by it, comes through shining, and creates a glorious destiny for his people. I am even more excited about it than Udaan.”