BNA INDIA - March / April 2015

FILM BUSINESS
is about a woman singer and healer in a
traditional community in the desert of
Rajasthan and her mystic and musical
journey to gain control over her own
destiny. The Iranian actress Golshifteh
Farahani has been casted for this role.
Are there other film projects you are
working on right now or plan for the
near future?
Anup Singh: It took me 12 years to
make “Qissa”, so you can imagine that
in that period, while waiting for “Qissa”
to happen, I had a lot of time to write?!
And that’s what I did. I wrote and wrote.
Now, I have a pile of scripts ready.
You are a Punjabi, but born in Tanzania.
How and why?
Anup Singh: As I mentioned earlier, my
grandfather was made a refugee by the
1945 partition of India and he decided to
start his new life in Tanzania, where he
had an uncle. My father was three years
old when he came to Tanzania with his
father and grew up there. Many years
later I was born in Dar-Es-Salaam.
How and from where do you get the
ideas for your films?
Anup Singh: I believe my films emerge
from a simple question that I ask myself
again and again: What is it that would
allow us to affirm and celebrate our existence
on this earth and co-exist with
each other with dignity?
Where do you see the difference between
an Indian audience and the
Western audience of Indian Independent
films and especially of your films?
Anup Singh: In recent times I would say
there is not much of a difference. Earlier
one could say, that because the Western
audience generally watched a greater
variety of cinema, they were more
appreciative of independent voices. But
nowadays there is a growing Indian
audience that seeks to watch a diversity
of films from all over the world. An
increasing number of the Indian audience
are now asking for alternative
voices and in fact trying to support independent
voices with passion, debate
and - most important of all - they are
going to the cinema for independent
films!
Why should people watch “Qissa”?
Anup Singh: I believe “Qissa” unfolds
those secret and fragile aspects of our
life that we are unable to share with
others in our daily living. I believe an
audience that remains vulnerable to its
inner spirit and is fearless about celebrating
life in all its complexity will find
“Qissa” an experience that they will carry
with them for the rest of their life.
What kind of film - which topic and
which cast - would be a big dream
project for you as a director?
Anup Singh: My big dream is to make
a film on Bulleh-Shah, the grand and
celebrative saint-poet of the Punjab. I’m
afraid I have no idea of the cast at the
moment.
What do you wish as a director – how
should the Indian Independent Cinema
develop?
Anup Singh: It should develop without
any limits of the imagination.
Could you imagine directing a mainstream
cinema film, a blockbuster
film? If so, what kind of film and with
which Bollywood actors/actresses?
Anup Singh: I can’t imagine directing a
mainstream blockbuster.
34 BNA INDIA March / April 2015