Good scripts are the key to constant improvement: Richie Mehta

By Nivedita

New Delhi, Jan 28 (IANS) Award-winning filmmaker Richie Mehta feels Bollywood as a mainstream industry has evolved. And the Indo-Canadian filmmaker says good scripts are the key to constant improvement.

Asked about his thoughts on today's Bollywood, Mehta told IANS in an email: "I don't feel qualified to fully answer this as I haven't watched enough Bollywood films in the last few years."

"But overall, I would say that the mainstream industry has evolved. It has become more sophisticated, and is finding even more international audiences as a result. It's a combination of India's growing economic influence, savvier audiences and artists within India pushing themselves harder," he added.

The director believes that "the key to constant improvement are good scripts".

"And the skill of writing is as difficult today as it was 70 years ago. No matter how the industry changes, this is a constant."

Mehta's current project "Delhi Crime Story", a seven-part series based on the horrific 2012 Nirbhaya gang-rape case, will have its world premiere at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival. The show is produced by Golden Karavan and Ivanhoe Pictures.

The show's cast is led by Shefali Shah and includes Adil Hussain, Denzil Smith, Rasika Dugal, Rajesh Tailang and Yashaswini Dayama. All seven episodes of Season One have been written and directed by Mehta.

The writer-director, also known for his projects like 2007 released "Amal", 2013 released "Siddharth" and "I'll Follow You Down", says he always had a very global outlook towards his work.

"Since I grew up in Canada, and keep working in India, I suppose I have always had a more global outlook, and avoid looking at this geographic industry vs. that one. I've just tried to make the projects true to themselves, and stay with them long enough so they find their audiences, in whatever country that is.

"And yes, there are certainly more Asian filmmakers now making work that is consumed all over the world, which is wonderful," Mehta said when asked about his goal to make his space in the international arena.

What about the biggest challenges?

"My biggest challenge -- by far -- is living up to the standards of excellence that I demand, both in arriving at the reasons I do a project, and the execution of that project. It's my own personal barometer for success, and the only professional issue that keeps me up at night," said Mehta, who added that he can't imagine what would be result if he "will ever make a conventional Bollywood film".

(Nivedita can be contacted at nivedita.s@ians.in)