After putting his might behind independent projects, Ship of Theseus director Anand Gandhi hopes his stories find more mainstream relevance in future.
Gandhi has penned the screenplay for his maiden mainstream outing Helicopter Eela, starring Kajol. The feature, which released on October 12, is based on his play Beta Kaagdo.
He has also written and produced Tumbbad, a historical period horror featuring Sohum Shah, which also released on the same day. A mythological horror, the film has has received unanimous praise by critics.
Gandhi, 38, is glad to contribute in this shifting ecosystem where viewers are warming up to content-driven stories.
"There is a beautiful churning happening. It is exciting to be part of this change and make films. The biggest challenge is to optimise these possibilities and keep pushing and reinventing oneself," Gandhi told PTI.
"I will continue to make the kind of films I want to make. I hope the films I make reach a wider audience. So the definition of commercial cinema changes," he added.
The filmmaker said the difference between commercial and independent cinema has blurred over the years.
"I hope the cinema that resonates deeply with people and provides meaningful experience become mainstream. The lines are blurring, I don't think there is a relevant difference today."
The credit for reigniting the momentum in indie cinema, Gandhi said, goes to actors and filmmakers, who are starting to invest their money and talent in good projects.
"Audiences are watching films and showing their preferences. They are in a way pushing the boundaries of what producers and distributors are willing to take on. Industry people are taking on risks and offering something new to audience. Everyone has to push each other towards a greater evolution," he said.
Gandhi is also a co-creator of ElseVR, India's first virtual reality (VR) platform aiming to bring extraordinary stories.
"The hardware is yet to catch up, it is not very comfortable to watch virtual reality for a long period of time. The headsets are still very heavy and are not extremely conducive and comfortable for viewing for a longer time," he said.
He is at the moment caught up with his next two directorial films—an American science fiction co-production and a Hindi drama.
For the science fiction feature, Gandhi has collaborated with a scientist who has come on board as his client adviser and executive producer.
"I am beginning to learn whether there are any differences or not. It is an English language film, I hope to get Indian partners involved in the project. Given the nature and subject, it made sense to look for partners in that part of the world. This film will go on floors by December next year," he said.
The Hindi project will go on floors by June or July next year.
"It is different from what I have done so far, it is a drama spanning three decades. We have started talking with actors and partners, in next two months we will hopefully get things locked. We are hoping to make it bilingual, in Hindi and Tamil," Gandhi said.
