With new film Masaan, Dubai producer Manish Mundra proves he has a keen eye for talent

The Dubai-based producer, whose award-winning film Masaan will screen in the UAE this weekend, says that supporting indie cinema is where his interests lie.

Shweta Tripathi and Vicky Kaushal in Masaan. Courtesy Ketan Mehta

Manish Mundra only got into film production a few years ago but he is already being called the “guardian angel of Indian indie cinema”.

The 42-year-old Dubai-based producer, who has six films under his belt, is excited about the UAE release of his ­latest project Masaan.

The ­drama debuted at the Cannes Film Festival in March and won two awards – the ­Fipresci, and the International Jury of Film Critics and ­Promising Future Prize in Un Certain Regard.

Mundra's foray into films started a few years ago when Bollywood actor/director Rajat ­Kapoor tweeted about his dejection at not finding a producer for his movie Aankhon Dekhi (Through My Own Eyes).

Mundra, who owns the ­production house Drishyam Films, jumped in. As it turned out, his debut was a successful one: Aankhon Dekhi went on to grab three Filmfare Critics Awards in 2015 – Best Film, Best Actor (Sanjay Mishra) and Best Story (Kapoor).

Mundra seems to have an ­unerring eye for winners. ­Besides Masaan, two of his ­other productions have gone on to win awards at international film festivals this year: Umrika ­(America) got the World Cinema Dramatic ­Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival, while Dhanak (Rainbow) was ­awarded the Grand Prix of the Generation K-plus International Jury for the Best Feature Length Film at the Berlin International Film ­Festival.

What kind of films do you like to produce?

I choose scripts based on how much I can connect with the story and if it has the power to linger on with me. My films critically examine human relationships. I like to call them “bravehearts” because they are made with a small budget, fairly new writers and directors, and yet dream to create a space for themselves.

Which formula do you follow that all your films have won awards at film festivals?

I feel human relationships make the best stories. I would be lying if I say I have a formula. I’ve just been lucky and by God’s grace, everything I have picked has worked, so far.

Speaking of which, is there a reason why all your films first debut at film festivals?

The content of all our films is such that it attracts ­international audiences. The world is looking up to India for good films today and a lot of our films are being shown at international film festivals. Taking my films to such festivals is a great learning experience and also opens up several ­opportunities. For instance, at the Sundance Film Festival, we found an international agent for Umrika, who sold it to 50 ­territories worldwide. Also, the release of Masaan in France has paved the way for Umrika, which is due to release there soon.

Over the past two years, you have become a sort of guardian angel for newbie filmmakers. Why do you prefer newcomers?

I’m no guardian angel, just a new entrant into the film industry who is here for the fun and passion of filmmaking, and not commercial gain. We do get a lot of script submissions from new filmmakers and each one is read. Once we finalise, I meet the writer/director and if the budget is within my means, hand over a cheque. After that I step back and let them work. I have a lot of respect for new writers and directors – they are professionally qualified, determined and confident. It’s great fun working with them.

Considering the number of Indian film fans in the UAE, are you doing anything to bring Hindi cinema to the country?

I am trying to bring all my films to the UAE. Masaan will be followed by Umrika, tentatively set for a September release. Dhanak and X: The Film will follow suit as soon as I find a buyer. From my interactions with the people here, I have learnt that they are looking for content-focused cinema and are tired of masala films. I recently set up an office of my company, Drishyam Films UAE, in Dubai, through which we are funding Iranian ­director Shahram Alidi's film Triangle (in Arabic and ­Turkish), to be shot in Palestine and Turkey.

Is there an actor and director you dream to make a film with?

There are two actors, actually: Amitabh Bachchan, whose films drove me into this business, and veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah. I'm glad to announce that Shah has just completed our project Waiting, with Kalki Koechlin in the female lead. As for a director, I'm waiting for my good friend Anurag Kashyap to come on board, but since it takes so long to convince him, let's see when that happens.