Shoojit Sircar has 'no clue' about film with SRK

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Filmmaker Shoojit Sircar says that he is tied up with Varun Dhawan-starrer "October" and that reports about him planning to collaborate with superstar Shah Rukh Khan on a film are wrong.

According to reports, Shah Rukh and Sircar are keen to collaborate on a film that will be based on the Indian Army.

Asked about it, Sircar told IANS over phone from Melbourne: "No. This is wrong news. I am not aware of it at all. I have no clue. I'm just getting into a film with Varun. That's already been announced."

He is in the Australian city for the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne where his 2016 production "Pink" won the Best Film award on Friday. The movie, with a strong social message, has even bagged the National Film Award. But getting recognition in Australia is different for the "Madras Cafe" director.

"It's a joy and a proud moment for the team, especially because we have got an acknowledgement from the Australian jury. The film has resonated with them as well. That gives a high. It shows that we are on the right path," he said.

Sircar, who has worked with actors like Amitabh Bachchan, John Abraham and Ayushmann Khurrana, is also looking forward to a chat session on actors and acting process at the festival on Sunday.

"I am going to speak on my films right from the scripting process to execution," he said.

Talking about his criteria for choosing actors for his films, Sircar said: "I don't have actors in mind, but definitely I have the characters in mind while writing the script because we are developing the character, then we start working on it...the nuances of the character and then that decides who the actor is going to be. Sometimes, it is also because of the economic pressure."

"The kind of films that I make...I try to keep the budgets as low as possible," he added.

Still, he manages to strike the right chord with the audience.

"I am just lucky that they (his films) have all worked. I never thought that my films... like on constipation would work. I thought they were very average stories, but very important. I thought somehow I would just manage. I thank the audience for giving so much of love to my films," said the director, who has helmed successful films like "Piku" and "Vicky Donor".

He is set to touch the audience's hearts with his next, which will be a slice of life love story.

Sircar, unlike most filmmakers, has never locked horns with the Central Board of Film Certification, whose chief Pahlaj Nihalani has now been replaced by writer, lyricist and adman Prasoon Joshi.

Asked about the move, Sircar said: "I think Prasoon Joshi is absolutely eligible. He has been a part of the mainstream film industry. He knows exactly...he himself is a creative person. So, I think he will understand much deeper what we filmmakers want and what people should watch. It's a great move that Prasoon Joshi has come on board."

(Natalia Ningthoujam can be contacted at natalia.n@ians.in)

--IANS

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