Q. After The Lord of the Rings trilogy, do you have any plan for taking up Tolkien’s other literary works for cinematic representation?

Not at the moment. Peter (Jackson) has been talking about The Hobbit, another avidly read literary work of JRR Tolkien. The Hobbit has already been made as an animated film by United Artists. To make the film again as a live-action film, we need to obtain the rights from United Artist as well as New Line Corporation. Peter will do it some day but when I am not sure.

Q. Do you have any other projects on anvil?

Well, I have a picture called Round 5 in Thailand with a Thai director. I am also doing The Alchemist with Lawrence Fishburne. I also have a little film with two writers Duncan and Robert from New Zealand called Magic Fingers, and of course, Shekhar Kapoor’s film Paani (Water).”

Q. Tell us a bit about your project with Shekhar Kapoor?

The film with Shekhar will be both in Hindi and English and will be shot entirely in India. The story is set in the period 25 years of hence when water will be scarce. It will narrate the ordeal of the have-nots and their struggle and war with the owners of this precious commodity. This was quite an interesting theme.

Q. What’s your view about Indian film industry and its slow emergence on the global platform?

I have been familiar with Indian films for a while now. When I was young, I saw movies of Satyajit Ray in the foreign film categories at various International Awards. I have also seen Elizabeth and Bandit Queen and have seen many more but I don’t remember the names now. Well, I think India is quite ahead both in terms of quality and quantity and certainly has contributed significantly in this medium.

Q. You were to back a film named Fearless Nadia based on the life of Mary Evans, the original stunt queen of Bollywood. When will it see the light of the day?

I loved that story and there was a project that Shekhar and I were sharing but it has been kept on backburner now. There are some complications in putting that film together and I don’t think that is really going forward even though I actually liked Evans’s character.

Q. Do you foresee the animation and special effects taking over the real art of filmmaking?

No, not really. I think animation and special effects are tools to tell story and they make the film more real. They help in giving the touch of reality to situations which otherwise would not have been possible. Animation and SFX are a great substitute for enhancing the visual appeal and presentation of narrative grandeur on screen.

Q. How would you rate Indian animation industry and what is its potential?

I think it is a growing industry and very promising. I have seen impressive works of Madhu (Madhusudhanan N, President award winner for special effects in Alavandan) who was in the team of visual effects for the Lord of the Rings and a few more animation artist since I have been here. I am certainly looking forward to work with these professionals.

Q. You had started your career as a DGA trainee. Didn’t the urge of direction ever take over?

Directors’ Guild’s programme actually trains you as an assistant director. An assistant director is more like a production person. Though it is run by the Directors’ Guild, it is a great training ground for film production. So in one way it is quite normal though some people took the training and went on to become directors. But this was not some thing I have had charted for myself.

Q. Theatres have been replaced by satellite channels and lately with new media. Is theatre culture loosing importance?

The world has been predicting the fact that theatre going will come to an end but with time they have been proven wrong. Ever since TV came, people said that it is the definite death of cinema. But in fact TV helped cinema to grow further. Each one of this has synced with the other and opened another market to flourish. I think going to cinema theatre is an enriching experience. It is a great feeling to pull out friends and family and hit theatre. And surely it will continue to remain so. Emergence of home theatres and new media has only fostered the cause of entertainment and alternate medium for cinema viewing.

Q. How effective are the forums like FRAMES?

International film festivals like FRAMES are very important festivals. They courtesy artists and recognise achievements of the global members of entertainment industry. There are forums for having a symposium to explore the changing world of cinema and technology. Such events give an opportunity to exchange ideas with peers and hear from people who are experts in their field.