“My films Hunar is about how parents thrust their own ambitions on their wards”: Sujoy Joy Mukherjee

By Jyothi Venkatesh

Joy Mukerjee’s second son Sujoy Mukherjee, affectionately known as Boy Mukherjee has just completed shooting his second short film titled Hunar starring television’s heartthrobs Rohit Roy and Madhurima Tuli. When I met him for this interview at his office at the Filmalaya Studios in Andheri, the effervescent beard clad Sujoy spoke a lot about the reason why he decided to make my second short film Hunar after my first short film Ab Mujhe Udna Hai. Read excerpts:

How did the idea of your short film Hunar germinate?

I have seen over the years several parents trying to pressurize their children to study for medicine or for that matter engineering as and when they try to choose a different avocation of their choice like painting or acting or for that matter singing

What is the message that you want to drive home through your film?

I want to drive home the subtle message that parents should let their children’s inherent talent blossom instead of trying to pressurize their talent, for the simple reason that a lot of children today do not necessarily possess the kind of skill or for that matter talent that their parents possess.

How autobiographical is your film?

My father did not at all pressurize me to take up acting though I preferred to write, act and direct like him. So does my elder brother Monjoy. My son Joydeep is good at sports and dancing. I did ask Joydeep if he would like to act in my short film but he did not want to act and hence I auditioned about 30 boys and picked up a young new comer like Vidhan Sharma for my short film

Though the theme is laudable, are you not aware of the fact that several other films have been made in the past with similar themes?

You are right but then I feel that treatment of a director matters a lot when you set out to make a film on your own. With my film, I have made an attempt to tell the parents to let them help their kids talent blossom by showing that they set out to train a poor boy by honing his talent

In how many days did you shoot your film?

I shot my film which has a duration of 35 minutes in just 5 days.

How do you plan to market your film?

I have plans to target my film for an OTT release after showcasing it in all the major Indian as well as International film festivals, especially since I have a very good working relationship with most of the major OTT platforms in our country. (I am also planning to make a music video called Mujhe Ishq Hone Laga with my wife Supriya Mukherjee as the director

Who are your favorite filmmakers?

Sidharth Anand, Shoojit Sircar, Sandeep Vanga Reddy, Raja Mouli and last but not the least my own cousin brother Ayan Mukerjee.

In what way do you think that filmmaking has changed over the years?

Today, you can experiment a lot as a filmmaker even when you set out to entertain the audience. I think it is easier nowadays to make films, though earlier it was not at all easy.

Can you elucidate?

Earlier actors like my dad and Shammi Kapoor didn’t give their shots after watching the monitors on the sets whereas today even new actors rush to see the monitors to see how they have enacted. Also you have drones at your convenience to make it easier to shoot unlike earlier.

Which are the five films of your dad that you like the most?

Love in Simla, Ek Musafir Ek Haseena, Love In Tokyo, Ziddi and last but not the least Phir Wohi Dil Laya Hoon.

How would you describe your late dad Joy Mukerjee as a director?

My dad was undoubtedly a very good director ahead of his times. Chhaila Babu which he had directed way back in 1977 with Rajesh Khanna as the leading man was a super duper hit which brought back Rajesh Khanna in the reckoning after his exile when Amitabh Bachchan came back in a big form with Zanjeer. His Humsaaya was also a good film.