Majid Majidi: Pity Satyajit Ray style of filmmaking is lost

Majid Majidi

Majid Majidi always wanted to narrate a story imbued with shades of Indian culture. He has made his dream a reality with his maiden India-set project, Beyond The Clouds. The Oscar-nominated Iranian filmmaker says it is a pity that the style of filmmaking of legends like Satyajit Ray and Shyam Benegal has got lost with time in India, but feels today's filmmakers have the potential to revive it.

Satyajit Ray

"I knew India from Satyajit Ray's cinema. And then, through my travels and trips, I got closer to Indian culture. Since then, I have had the thought that if I ever make a film outside of Iran, it would be in India," he said in an interview.

Though Majid Majidi had an idea about Indian culture and cinema when he embarked on the journey to make Beyond The Clouds, he understood the nuances of the entertainment world in a better way only during this endeavour. "The difference [between cinema from Ray's era and the present] is significant. Bollywood is a commercial cinema - which is not a problem, because it supports the economy. But cultural potential exists in India. It is a pity that we don't have the kind of cinema made by Satyajit Ray or Shyam Benegal. India can have it because it is full of that cultural potential."

Also read: Majid Majidi: AR Rahman is very kind, loving person

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Edited by mid-day online desk with inputs from PTI