rediff.com
News APP

NewsApp (Free)

Read news as it happens
Download NewsApp

Available on  gplay

Rediff.com  » Movies » 'Sex doesn't always sell'

'Sex doesn't always sell'

Last updated on: March 22, 2010 11:54 IST

Image: A scene from Love Sex Aur Dhokha with an inset of Dibakar Banerjee
Love him or hate him, but ignore him? Better luck with that. Because Dibakar Banerjee just loves to push the envelope.

His latest film after Khosla Ka Ghosla and Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye! -- the provocatively titled Love Sex Aur Dhokha -- is already getting a lot of reaction. The movie has earned a lot of praise from critics, who hail him as the country's innovative filmmaker.

So is he worth all the praise? Well, his fans and curious others got to know more during this scintillating chat last week. For those who missed the chat, here's what transpired.

Dibakar Banerjee says, Hi everybody, this is Dibakar. Let's have your questions.

kishor asked, hi sir how to made this story
Dibakar Banerjee answers, By seeing life around me, the MMSes, the sting scandals on TV and by seeing Bollywood films.

afsar asked, Jahan love hota hai waha sex jarroori to nahi?
Dibakar Banerjee answers, Aadmi aur aurat ka pyaar ho toh sex ko aap daal mein chhoka maan sakte hai. Swaad badta hai. Lekin uske bina bhi agar sirf man ka pyaar ho toh bhi daal achhi hai.

sexy asked, are there any nude scenes in the movie?
Dibakar Banerjee answers, Yes. Some of them have been blurred by the censors.

kris asked, Hi Dibakar, is it not a vulgar title
Dibakar Banerjee answers, No.

Harsha asked, Is this film focuses only on Sex & Dokha?
Dibakar Banerjee answers, No, also on love.

KLPD asked, Your movies have been quite different and yet conventional in a way. Is this intentional?
Dibakar Banerjee answers, Not consciously different; I just make the films that I want to make and people define them the way they want to define.

KLPD asked, The censors deleting the scenes- Will it have the same impact now?
Dibakar Banerjee answers, Yes, it will. I just saw it again with a hall full of other people who were not aware of the 10-12 second cuts that we had made and were affected by it. But it all depends on what impact you're looking for.

KLPD asked, KKG was fully entertaining, OLLO was arty. LSD is more real. What next?
Dibakar Banerjee answers, More angry.

KLPD asked, Ekta is known for her tear jerker joint family dramas. How come you chose her as a producer for LSD?
Dibakar Banerjee answers, She chose me.:)

KLPD asked, What is the secret of "putting" in entertainment in any story or How do you make a film entertaining, and yet retaining the fabric of the script
Dibakar Banerjee answers, Lovely question. Maybe it's got to do with respecting the characters, respecting the audience's time and drawing the correct balance between what you want to say and what is relevant to them. One golden rule: humour helps. Of which LSD has a lot!

pankaj asked, hi what is ur film all about
Dibakar Banerjee answers, It's about all of us and our society, and what's private and public and what's film and what's life.

rmm85 asked, Is it going to release internationally?
Dibakar Banerjee answers, Not immediately. We'll take it to the festivals first and then release it internationally.

KLPD asked, Doesnt LSD release warrant a post by you on passionforcinema
Dibakar Banerjee answers, Would have loved to, but the last two months, I've been working insanely against deadlines and time.

rmm85 asked, What massege u want to give through this movie?
Dibakar Banerjee answers, See the film, see if you find one, then we'll talk! :)

kam asked, why censor has deuducted those scense which required for film after giving A certificate don't u think this is unfare with film y r u agree with this
Dibakar Banerjee answers, They agreed with the scene but they thought it was too explicit, and therefore wanted to reduce 10 seconds of it to avoid disturbing some parts of the audience.

Alirocksn asked, Tu nangi achi lagti hai...... Can this song be released somewhere instead of tu gandi achi lagti hai....please????????
Dibakar Banerjee answers, No, because it's been banned by the censors, and to flout that rule would be illegal.

AB asked, What's your next movie with IMRAN KHAN about ?
Dibakar Banerjee answers, No one told me about it -- maybe you know something I don't! :)

babu@123456 asked, why are u spoiling the young generation u bollywood people does not have shame as u have habbit of seeing such nonsense with u kids u don't have any culture
Dibakar Banerjee answers, See the film alone, se if anyone will be spoilt by it, and then let's talk!

soumyanayak asked, r u banking on the fact that, no matter what, sex always sells?
Dibakar Banerjee answers, Actually, it doesn't. What sells is a topical and relevant story. Otherwise our films would have been a string of disconnected sex scenes from beginning to end.

'LSD is not a sleazy film'

Image: A scene from Love Sex Aur Dhokha
Jay asked, Hey Dipankar, loved KKG, OLLO. Do you know if LSD will be released in Dubai?
Dibakar Banerjee answers, No.

cyberchamp asked, Hi Dibakar, your previous movies touched the masses and everyone could relate to it. However, don't you think LSD is too contemporary and will not appeal to children?
Dibakar Banerjee answers, Its an adult film.

Aman asked, I have read you said that this movie will draw a line between public and private, how ?
Dibakar Banerjee answers, What you see in an MMS or a sting byte is an extremely private moment between two, being thrown open on public display, with everyone enjoying the scene without any other knowledge about those two characters. In LSD you will see the MMS or the scandalous sting byte after going through the lives of those characters. And that's when you'll see the full significance of that scene.

mayank asked, Hey dibakar, wanna ask, if its again a typical b grader with more stress on violence & sex, just like ramsay's movie. No offences meant
Dibakar Banerjee answers, None taken. No, it's not. Go watch it if you want proof.

jhaalokk asked, Hi Dibakar, I really Like your both previous movies. Tell me about some of your favorite movies of other directors and your inspiration behind coming to this movie direction things
Dibakar Banerjee answers, Scorcese, Kubrick, Ray, Shyam Benegal, Govind Nihalani, Ketan Mehta and Sudhir Mishra and Anurag Kashyap.

jhaalokk asked, hi Dibakar, I want to know your inspiration behind moving to movie direction
Dibakar Banerjee answers, Other films made by great filmmakers.

seenu asked, hi dibakar..why a sudden shift from family movies to more sleazy one??
Dibakar Banerjee answers, LSD is not a sleazy film. If your family has adults, do watch it with all of them. That is, if you discuss issues freely and openly in your family.

frdfrd asked, When we say .. this actress looks sexy ? In plain english , doesn't that mean that she makes people excited and prompt them to masterbrate thinking about them. How does it different then being a prostitute?
Dibakar Banerjee answers, Precisely my point. The word and the meaning of sex can mean many things to many people. To some, it just might mean cool and attractive. To others, it might seem repulsive. It's the eye that decides what it sees.

kkkkko0998 asked, Ya, Actaully really enjoed ur last moive Khosla ka Ghosla and Oye Lucky, Lucky Oye..Both were superb movies..So I had curiosity to know, will this time again, This mavie can show the same effect??
Dibakar Banerjee answers, When I made Lucky, a lot of people said it was very different from Khosla. But over time, it's clubbed with Khosla. Today LSD will seem different to many people who are expecting a continuation of Lucky or Khosla, but a year from now, maybe this too will become one from the same bag!

aman m asked, "dibakarBanerjee says,and through this movie we are alerting the people that this kind of things are happening now days so beware before doing something. may be someone is watching you. " then why are you making a long movie on it??there could be a bettr way to alert people(News people have done that)!!!sir this is for business and making profit,Dnt put a mask on it!! liked your pervios 2 movies tough..
Dibakar Banerjee answers, I made the film to tell a story, entertain, and maybe leave a thought. That's the most a film can do.

frd asked, Why do we need item numbers in movies just to show some flesh on screen to excite people's erotic feelings ?
Dibakar Banerjee answers, Their source lies in the idea of a song and dance number for the "so-called masses" who are deprived! :) In fact, in LSD, a young filmmaker is forced to put an in tem number in his film! :)

frd asked, Dibakar what is difference between a pornogrphic movies and a so called normal film containing sexual contents?
Dibakar Banerjee answers, Pornography is a replacement of the actual sexual act that gives one sexual release. A film with a sex scene in it may just be using the sex to make a totally different point about the characters and the story. You may not get any sexual satisfaction out of seeing that scene altogether. It depends on the filmmaker and the audience and the relationship between them.

VikrantG asked, I want to see the unedited sex scene
Dibakar Banerjee answers, You'll see nothing more than you would have seen in the censored version.

rajanaparthi asked, LSD...can v xpct d same amt f entrtnmnt as of KKG n OLLO ????
Dibakar Banerjee answers, If you expect a realistic picture of our society, real characters dealing with real problems, and humour and emotions, comedy and tragedy, existing side by side -- absolutely!

'There's no frontal nudity in LSD'

Image: A scene from Love Sex Aur Dhokha
Sunil asked, Hey Dibakar I'm big fan of yours. Your last movie did carry some Haryanvi content, thanx. What do you think are the reason of non development of Haryanvi cinema ?
Dibakar Banerjee answers, I grew up in DTC buses in Delhi, hence my love for Haryanvi humour. Even I'll wait for a cool, realistic Haryanvi film.

retya asked, Is this movie similar Dus kahania which shows all extra marital-affairs
Dibakar Banerjee answers, No extra marital affair here. Just three relationships, three stories.

Pavel asked, I am curious about bold name of the movie that have Dibakar. what prompted you to give LSD its name that too in Indian Cinema where audience especially me make up their mind about movies by their names. and one more thing Would you consider LSD a family movie which I can watch with my family?
Dibakar Banerjee answers, After finishing the script, I thought it would be better to give a straight-out and simple title, rather than beating around the bush. It could also act as a warning to those who may not want to see the issues this film deals with.

movielover asked, How upset you are with the clips leaked from the movie, and hence be judged unfairly out of context by media and viewers alike?
Dibakar Banerjee answers, Scenes and visuals cut from the film out of the context and being talked about is exactly the problem my film deals with!

pacificblue asked, whats of LSD did ekta kapooer interfered with ur creativity...or the subject was hers
Dibakar Banerjee answers, None whatsoever. The subject was mine and she was the best producer for it.

chootiya asked, DIBANKAR , I M REALLY SURPRISED THAT YOU HAVE GONE FOR A FULL FRONTAL NUDITY SCENE IN THIS MOVIE. WHY DID U DO THAT
Dibakar Banerjee answers, No frontal nudity in LSD. Now you've been warned!

akbar4u3 asked, Dibakor, Do you not think its a very bold movie for indian audience? Are you trying bring a new culture to indian cinema?
Dibakar Banerjee answers, Films can do nothing to bring a new culture. In fact, they're a product of a changing culture. LSD reflects our society rather than change it.

bhavesh02 asked, what is reaction after deducting some sins by censor board after giving a certificate? is it ok with you
Dibakar Banerjee answers, I was prepared for it, and frankly, was extremely surprised by the liberal attitude of the censors.

'I'm fully hoping for LSD to be as good a success as Khosla and Lucky'

Image: A scene from Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye!
STDPCOISD asked, Would LSD been able to reach out more if even one couple were known faces?
Dibakar Banerjee answers, That would have been going against the interest of the movie's content, These three stories are designed as if you are seeing real footage from various cameras belonging to real people. Putting a known face would have shattered that illusion of reality and would have weakened the impact of the film.

Alister asked, Good afternoon sir. Kudos for always thinking out of the box while making movies. Its quite refreshing after the melodrama and the same old stories repeating time after time in Bollywood.My question to you sir is how do you choose the movies you direct? I know its your own script work but what else ? And how do you choose your cast and crew ?
Dibakar Banerjee answers, I usually live with the subject for a long time and the more it stays with me, the surer I am about making it. So it's a kind of a longevity test. Some ideas win over the others and then find themselves into the films I make.

rosh asked, Hi Dibakar! I have a feeling more people would watch LSD on pirated DVDs or online rather than in movie halls. Personally speaking, I desperately want to watch the movie, first day first show if possible. But i have a 2 year old son who has a photographic memory, so I wouldn't dare watch it in a theatre. What I'm trying say is that by choosing sucha risque subject aren't you alienating a huge chunk of audience?
Dibakar Banerjee answers, I disagree. This is primarily a film for the youth and those who don't mind seeing something new. I'm fully hoping for it to be as good a success as Khosla and Lucky.

lalla asked, any connection to DELHI AND DELHI CULTURE IN LSD????? I SERIOUSLY WISHED KKG AND OLLO WERE BUMPER HITS...LETS HOPE U GET STAR POWER LIKE SRK AAMIR WHO CAN GIVE SUPER PROMOTIONS
Dibakar Banerjee answers, LSD could have happened in any town in India where you get cable TV, Bollywood films and understand Hindi.

sameerlalwani asked, So DB, with this one, aren't you also resorting to emotional pornography, almost in the literal sense!:)
Dibakar Banerjee answers, Emotional pornography is sentamentalising, exaggerating and distorting an emotion to grab on to the audience's attention forcibly. If and when you see LSD, you'll see there's none of that.

heavybison asked, To add value, you could have a tie up with moods and ks and gift free condom packs to movie goers!!!
Dibakar Banerjee answers, Actually, that would have been a lovely idea. Our reluctance to deal with sex naturally and uninhibitedly leads to a lot of misinformation and protected sex is GOOD sex!

andy asked, Dibakar- What has been your family's reaction to LSD?
Dibakar Banerjee answers, Initially, they were a little taken aback and apprehensive about the subject and the effect the film will have on my life. As they have come to accept the subject and film better, they're looking forward to go and see it with me.

KATOO asked, hi dibu bhai...this is abhinav from delhi....dude kkg and oolo...noth movies i watched during my mbbs exams....both on computers....they WERE SO GOOD i had to go the movie hall...U CAPTURED DELHI SO VERY WELL....hard luck 26/11 happened or OLLO wud HAVE BEEN A BUMPER HIT....anyways..IS THERE ANY DELHI relation to LSD??? i read the movie is as if ITS SHOT THRU A SPY CAM/WEBCAM..
Dibakar Banerjee answers, Not only a spy cam, but infrared cam, underwater cam, plain handycam and lots of other interesting cameras.

hanu asked, do you think moral values are outdated ?
Dibakar Banerjee answers, Moral values are very much a product of their times. Hence they keep changing.

saa asked, Is your movie is inspired by 1989 film Sex, Lies, and Videotape? I want a honest answer.
Dibakar Banerjee answers, No. When you see
LSD