Hansal Mehta: Budget Shouldn't Limit Storytelling

Filmmaker Hansal Mehta, who is known for ‘Aligarh’, ‘Shahid’, ‘Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story’, has said that budget should not be looked at as a constraint for making good cinema. The filmmaker recently attended the FICCI BAF Awards event in Mumbai where the FICCI -EY Media and Entertainment report was launched.

During the event, he emphasised on the critical role of writing and preparation to make good cinema. He said, "If you spend the most time writing, the development cycle, then there is assurance that what you have made is true to the material. Preparation and development are the key things”. He then quoted the examples of his own projects, and said how he invested a lot of time in the writing process while mounting these projects that have huge scale. He revealed that ‘Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story’ required over four and a half years of writing before filming commenced, while ‘Scoop"’ began its scripting phase even before ‘Scam 1992’ was released, taking almost three years to materialise.

He further mentioned that ‘Paatal Lok 2’ underwent a five-year development process. Despite these lengthy timelines, Mehta asserted that such dedication ensures the creation of authentic and resonant narratives. Addressing the challenges of budget constraints, Mehta recounted his experience with ‘Shahid’, a film produced on a modest budget that went on to win multiple national awards. He said, "I never felt that budget can be a limiting factor in telling stories.

Since 2010, when we moved away from celluloid films, the empowerment from the medium has allowed us to tell stories. ‘Shahid' taught me that”. During the fireside chat at the event Mehta also highlighted the diversity of contemporary audiences and the necessity for varied storytelling approaches. 

—IANS