Yami Gautam Dhar says, 'It was such a blessed time when hand-painted posters and trailers were enough to pull audiences into the theatres'

Yami Gautam Dhar’s film Lost premiered on Zee5 recently. The film, which also stars Pankaj Kapur, Rahul Khanna, Neil Bhoopalam, has been received well. The Free Press Journal caught up with her for an exclusive chat. Excerpts:

What is Lost all about?

When we talk about the film, it’s just a metaphor. It also narrates someone who is lost. We are talking about that basic humane or that integrity. Media is just a tool in the film. It can apply to anyone from any walk of life. I play a crime journalist looking for a lost person.

Lost has all the masala, love, courage and politics. What is your take on these adjectives?

I think, strictly speaking, it's a realistic film. Just in the same way in life we face everything, also all the different things in life overlap each other in some way or the other.. be it love, courage and politics. There is always an influence of these adjectives. Lost has one side of these impressions through Tony da’s (director Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury) point of view.

What did you take away from Pankaj Kapur?

The detailing of even very small things for his character which he wants to know those small things is huge. If he has to shoot in the house he will come there a day prior to the shoot. He will have a meal and he probably wants to know the whereabouts of a house as the character has been living there for almost 40 days in that particular house. He gets acclimatised to that place and needs to know the switches and the rooms, etc. I remember for the gardening scenes, the props also when brought fresh he wanted it to be aged.  He picked up some sand and smudged it with the sand.

What’s your take on the current promotional strategies?

I hope promotional strategies are improvised. Different kinds of films need different promotional strategies. We also have to go on to shows and channels for promotions. But I feel the way films are performing, these promotional strategies don’t matter to the audiences. What matters is the trailer of the film. How excited they are after watching the trailer. It has literally come down to the quality of the film.

Is it like the olden days when people would decide to get into theatres to watch a film or not?

Not completely… but I would love to see that. Beyond a point what do you say about the film and make a different marketing strategy. The most important thing is that people should know which film is coming and its trailer. Rest nothing matters you and I talking and putting it out there doesn’t matter to them. That was such a blessed time when (hand) painted posters and trailers were enough to pull the audiences into the theatres. Also, there are so many distractions as the attention span is lessened. Even to watch interviews, you have to make it interesting for the audiences. I would love to see a shuffle where a film is appealing to the people eventually.

What about your forthcoming films, if you could elaborate their genres?

Whatever it may be, each one will be of a different genre. I just don't want to fill calendars. I have a responsibility and thus whatever I do I have to be completely convinced first that this is the film I have to do. I have Oh My God! 2, Chor Nikal Ke Bhaga, Dhoom Dhaam, and more.