When Sanjay Puran Singh Chauhan made his directorial debut with Lahore, winning a National award for it was something that he had least expected. That, in spite of his conviction and belief in the film that “it will tug at the heartstrings of its audiences.” For someone with no film background, no filmi connection to boast of, and no star to sell the film, “it was definitely a pleasant surprise,” he says about the win. “But it’s a dream come true for someone who ate, breathed, and lived the film every moment,” he adds.
The taste of success that the film achieved nationally and even internationally has washed over the tiredness of the struggle in making the film and now Sanjay’s already looking forward to working on his next film. “It’s a sci-fi,” he informs.
Aware that films of this genre need far more financial backing than Lahore did, he clarifies, “The background of the film is sci-fi, but the story is essentially about people. I don’t want it to be spoken about for special effects, but for the emotions.”
But is it any easier to get that support, now that he’s a national-award winner? “The National award has definitely opened doors for me in Bollywood and I don’t feel like an outsider any more,” he says, but adds that not every meeting translates into something substantial. “People are afraid to take risks here. The ones who do take them are a minority. Financiers are interested in films only when stars are involved. I don’t blame them, but I won’t fall into the star-trap! For me the content and the story is what matters. I won’t compromise on it to accommodate a star. The story is the star for me and will always be,” he asserts.
Working on his own terms and an unshakeable faith in his beliefs and convictions, are what he calls his strengths. “Till I have faith in my story, I will find the means to bring it on the big screen,” he smiles confidently.
