Madhureeta Mukherjee (BOMBAY TIMES; April 7, 2016)
He paints his imagination on celluloid like water colour on canvas, not letting a drop spill over. Or smudge the beauty of his storytelling. His child characters are rare gems, which make grown-ups feel guilty about tainting their innocence, and losing happiness over petty plights. Acclaimed Iranian filmmaker and writer Majid Majidi's stroke of brilliance lies in the simplicity and delicacy with which he blends his palette, which is remarkably visible in films like the Oscar nominated Children of Heaven, The Color of Paradise, Baran or The Song of Sparrows, to name a few. Even if his characters are impoverished and suffering they rise, shine and fill your heart with sheer joy. During his recent visit to India to scout for locations for his next film, Majidi spoke to BT exclusively about the perception of Islam in the West, his view of typical Bollywood films and what fascinates him about our country. Read on...
For long, India and Iran have shared good relations. What do you believe has been the foundation of this strong relationship?
We have cultural similarities. In the last few decades, many Iranians have travelled to India and many Indians to Iran, so it has been a cultural exchange between the two countries. Iranians have travelled to India as far back as 400 years ago. According to new statistics, 500,000 to 600,000 Iranians are living in India.
Last year, a Muslim group in India issued a fatwa against you for the film Muhammad: The Messenger of God. What was your reaction to that?
They issued a fatwa very quickly before watching the film, which I believe is not correct. Through Muhammad: The Messenger of God, we have tried to represent the correct interpretation of Islam. I also believe that with it, we can open a new window that shows the real face of Islam, which is a religion of kindness, peace and love. Unfortunately, some extremist groups, in recent years, have shown a wrong image of Islam. So, I believe this film can help us portray the real and correct face of the religion. I wish to request the group to re-consider their opinion and make a judgment after watching the film.
You are scouting for locations to shoot your next film in India, which will also have Indian actors.
Yes, some time ago I got the idea for it and that really excited me. It will be an Iranian film based on human values and I plan to shoot it completely in India. I have been travelling extensively all over the country. All the actors will be from India, and there will be some fresh talent, too. The film will be backed by Shareen Mantri Kedia and Kishor Arora from Eyecandy Films.
Tell us about your observations and experiences while travelling across our country.
I have travelled to India several times, and always felt that whenever I make a film abroad, India would definitely be 'the country'. Also, the value systems in India are close to my style of cinema. During this trip, I found an interesting subject which could be the storyline of a film in the future. I find a lot of cultural similarities between Iran and India. That's one reason I am making my film here. I will start shooting in the next six months.
Iran is often perceived to be an oppressive society towards women. However, it also seems women are free to pursue professions in many fields. Where does this dichotomy in perception come from?
It is obviously political. As you know, in Iran, women have active participation in society, so they can do different jobs and professions. They are also active socially. In some countries like Saudi Arabia, women don't have the right to vote or drive. But Western countries take advantage of the oil industries, and because of the dollars between them, they keep silent. It proves that these kinds of ideas against Iran are completely political.
Is it true that you want to change the West's perception of Islam through your films?
In Muhammad: The Messenger of God, I was trying to present the real sense of Islam. It is the religion of love, kindness, peace and friendship. So, I wanted to draw attention to the real face of Islam.
You had skipped a Danish film festival in protest as one of their publications had cartoons satirising the Islamic prophet, Muhammad. Would you have taken such a strong stance if another religion had been insulted?
I had been invited to this festival to receive a prize and they had also organised a retrospective for me. So, to me it seemed like a contradiction - on one hand, they are giving me a prize and on the other, they are not respecting my religious beliefs. Hence, I decided not to participate. Of course, if it happens with regards to any other religion, I will be upset and protest against it.
Children are a huge part of your films. In fact, they play pivotal characters. Any specific reason?
The world of children is full of honesty and innocence, and they are a bridge between the young and the old. There is so much of love, peace and kindness in children, and also purity in a spiritual sense that human values can be shown best through their world.
Have you seen any Indian films? Most Westerners think our films are like Broadway productions with colour, drama, music and dance. Your views?
Colour, music and dance are the real sense of Indian cinema. So people mostly watch commercial Indian films rather than artistic films. I believe in India there are wonderful subjects, which can show the real face of India, but it's a pity that Indian directors don't use the potential and mostly focus on dance and music. Therefore, there are a limited number of Indian independent films made.
Do people in Iran watch Bollywood films?
Yes, they do mostly on satellite and home video. There are no screenings in theatres for Indian cinema and a very limited number of films are shown on TV. Only few Indian films are aired on National TV channels, based on the criteria.
For long, India and Iran have shared good relations. What do you believe has been the foundation of this strong relationship?
We have cultural similarities. In the last few decades, many Iranians have travelled to India and many Indians to Iran, so it has been a cultural exchange between the two countries. Iranians have travelled to India as far back as 400 years ago. According to new statistics, 500,000 to 600,000 Iranians are living in India.
Last year, a Muslim group in India issued a fatwa against you for the film Muhammad: The Messenger of God. What was your reaction to that?
They issued a fatwa very quickly before watching the film, which I believe is not correct. Through Muhammad: The Messenger of God, we have tried to represent the correct interpretation of Islam. I also believe that with it, we can open a new window that shows the real face of Islam, which is a religion of kindness, peace and love. Unfortunately, some extremist groups, in recent years, have shown a wrong image of Islam. So, I believe this film can help us portray the real and correct face of the religion. I wish to request the group to re-consider their opinion and make a judgment after watching the film.
You are scouting for locations to shoot your next film in India, which will also have Indian actors.
Yes, some time ago I got the idea for it and that really excited me. It will be an Iranian film based on human values and I plan to shoot it completely in India. I have been travelling extensively all over the country. All the actors will be from India, and there will be some fresh talent, too. The film will be backed by Shareen Mantri Kedia and Kishor Arora from Eyecandy Films.
Tell us about your observations and experiences while travelling across our country.
I have travelled to India several times, and always felt that whenever I make a film abroad, India would definitely be 'the country'. Also, the value systems in India are close to my style of cinema. During this trip, I found an interesting subject which could be the storyline of a film in the future. I find a lot of cultural similarities between Iran and India. That's one reason I am making my film here. I will start shooting in the next six months.
Iran is often perceived to be an oppressive society towards women. However, it also seems women are free to pursue professions in many fields. Where does this dichotomy in perception come from?
It is obviously political. As you know, in Iran, women have active participation in society, so they can do different jobs and professions. They are also active socially. In some countries like Saudi Arabia, women don't have the right to vote or drive. But Western countries take advantage of the oil industries, and because of the dollars between them, they keep silent. It proves that these kinds of ideas against Iran are completely political.
Is it true that you want to change the West's perception of Islam through your films?
In Muhammad: The Messenger of God, I was trying to present the real sense of Islam. It is the religion of love, kindness, peace and friendship. So, I wanted to draw attention to the real face of Islam.
You had skipped a Danish film festival in protest as one of their publications had cartoons satirising the Islamic prophet, Muhammad. Would you have taken such a strong stance if another religion had been insulted?
I had been invited to this festival to receive a prize and they had also organised a retrospective for me. So, to me it seemed like a contradiction - on one hand, they are giving me a prize and on the other, they are not respecting my religious beliefs. Hence, I decided not to participate. Of course, if it happens with regards to any other religion, I will be upset and protest against it.
Children are a huge part of your films. In fact, they play pivotal characters. Any specific reason?
The world of children is full of honesty and innocence, and they are a bridge between the young and the old. There is so much of love, peace and kindness in children, and also purity in a spiritual sense that human values can be shown best through their world.
Have you seen any Indian films? Most Westerners think our films are like Broadway productions with colour, drama, music and dance. Your views?
Colour, music and dance are the real sense of Indian cinema. So people mostly watch commercial Indian films rather than artistic films. I believe in India there are wonderful subjects, which can show the real face of India, but it's a pity that Indian directors don't use the potential and mostly focus on dance and music. Therefore, there are a limited number of Indian independent films made.
Do people in Iran watch Bollywood films?
Yes, they do mostly on satellite and home video. There are no screenings in theatres for Indian cinema and a very limited number of films are shown on TV. Only few Indian films are aired on National TV channels, based on the criteria.
