IFFI: Earlier there used to be magic in discovering things, says filmmaker Aditya Vikram Sengupta

Filmmaker Aditya Vikram Sengupta, who made his debut with the silent film Asha Jaoar Majhe (Labour of Love, 2014), was featured in a virtual In-Conversation Session at the 51st edition of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI). Titled ‘Past, Present and Future of Visualisation’, the filmmaker was in conversation with journalist and documentary filmmaker Rohit Gandhi.

Asha Jaoar Majhe was premiered at the 11th Venice Days Film Festival in 2014 and won the National Award for Best Debut Film of a Director. The film was followed by the Bengali feature Jonaki (2018), which had its world premiere at the 47th International Film Festival of Rotterdam in 2018.

Speaking at the session at IFFI, the filmmaker spoke about the shifts in technology that have affected filmmaking and said, “Digitalisation has been a game-changer. With the coming of the digital age, taking re-takes has become easier and visualisation has taken a backseat. The process of capturing an image is not real anymore”. 

In addition to being a director, Sengupta is a cinematographer and graphic designer as well. Bringing his technical knowledge to the fore, he said, “Earlier there used to be magic in discovering things, even in terms of photography”. Reflecting on the current scenario, he added, “Cinema is not considered an art form anymore. Everyone is busy churning out as much as they can. But, in the process, brewing time is not given to a film.” However, excited by the textures presented by a different technology, the filmmaker is planning to make his next film on celluloid. 

He also spoke about the overwhelming presence of OTT platforms in the present scenario and said, “It is like a mall. There is so much content.” Talking about mainstream cinema, he said, “Bollywood [Hindi cinema] films still have the same old formula. But earlier, there used to be a solid, powerful storyline. But storylines have now become weak and need a lot of work.” 

During the conversation, Sengupta shared his early influences and inspiration, saying, “My childhood has an influence on my films. I have had a strong relationship with Kolkata. I have been close to the city from a young age.” Although he was all set to become a doctor, destiny had other plans for him. “My intention was to love life and share it with people. Filmmaking is almost like writing a diary. It is a tool for me to express what I want to express and I am pretty much obsessed with it," he said.

A movie buff, the filmmaker admitted that he was a huge fan of actors Mithun Chakraborty and Anil Kapoor.