Says debutant director Kanu Behl about 'Titli' being perceived as a Dibakar Banerjee film
From left: Ranvir Shorey, Shashank Arora and director Kanu Behl at the mid-day office.
The marketing of films hinges on big, established names and the same seems to be happening in case of Kanu Behl's 'Titli', albeit inadvertently. The critically acclaimed indie film is being talked of mostly as a Dibakar Banerjee project, although he is only co-producing it with Yash Raj Films.
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From left: Ranvir Shorey, Shashank Arora and director Kanu Behl at the mid-day office. Pics/Datta Kumbahar
Is it a tad unfair on Kanu? The debutant director disagrees, stating, "The general perception to a lot of things in the universe is different from the way it should be. I don't believe in the idea of films being directors' films. It belongs to Dibakar as much as me, the cinematographer, actors and everyone who is part of the film. So, it doesn't bother me. All I want is the film to be promoted and people should see it in theatres."
Dibakar Banerjee
Dibakar, on the other hand, says he does not believe in the concept of using a big name to market a film. "My brand value is not as big as Rajkumar Hirani's or Mahesh Bhatt's. Everyone knows I am a small-to-medium-budget filmmaker. I tried to do one big budget film, Detective Byomkesh Bakshy, but it didn't do well commercially. So, going by that logic, YRF will have to exercise caution with regard to the treatment of a film like 'Titli' because they are trying to make it a profitable project," he tells hitlist.
Dibakar says those looking at 'Titli' solely as his film or his directorial venture will change their mind after watching the film. "In the first few minutes, they will know it's not my film. As far as marketing is concerned, we never said that I have directed it. If mediapersons want me to give interviews, I can't step back and not promote the film," he adds.