Open to experiment different genres, except comedy, says director Sriram Raghavan

Known for his dark thrillers like Badlapur and Johnny Gaddaar, director Sriram Raghavan says he is open to experiment with different genres, except comedy.

"I will definitely try to do movies of different genres... I should get a story like that. My inclination is towards thrillers but that doesn't mean that I don't love other kind of movies," Raghavan said. He was attending the 6th Jagran Film Festival, which came to a close on Sunday night in New Delhi.

Raghavan, who made his directorial debut in 2004 with neo-noir thriller Ek Hasina Thi, starring Saif Ali Khan and Urmila Matondkar, said he can try other genres except "big budget" comedies.

"I would love doing other genres, except comedy. I cannot do an out-an-out comedy. I don't think I can do the big budget comedy films."

The filmmaker, however, believes that using dark humour in thrillers helps the viewers to engage better with the narrative.

"Humour (in thrillers) helps the viewers to be engaged constantly, otherwise the film will become too grim." Raghavan, who teamed with Saif for the 2012 action-spy film "Agent Vinod", which was made on a big budget, believes big films comes with bigger restrictions.

"I went bigger (in terms of budget) with 'Agent Vinod', but it didn't work. The more you go big, the more you try to accommodate everything. A big movie comes with a lot of restrictions which you impose upon yourself. For that kind of cost you also need the freedom to tell the story the way you want to tell. The story should be given importance and then big and small budget can be talked about.
A big films comes with a bigger risk which you have to accept," the director said.

Raghavan said he wants to make films without the "dangerous pressure" of pleasing the critics and box office numbers.

"I want to just forget about it and try and be as pure as I can and not think about either box office or critics." The director, however, said that it is a great time for filmmakers as their risks are paying off and experimental content is getting a thumbs up from the audience.

"It is definitely a great time for filmmakers. The audience' response for different movies has been terrific this year. From 'Dum Laga Ke Haisha' to 'Piku', these are all content-driven movies. A good story will attract big stars. And the result is evident," he said.

Raghavan revealed that he is currently working on two-three scripts.

"I have a few stories in mind but I am not sure which of them will take off first," the director said.