Det var min forelskelse i indisk film der medførte en næsten missionærisk lyst til at vise dem til folk, så de skulle forstå dem og se dem, hvilket vi jo aldrig gør.. Indiske film har aldrig stået på biografernes repetoirer, bortset fra nogle få art film. Det var min fascination over filmmediets storhed som kulturfænomen i det land der helt tog pusten fra mig. Det var min voksende indsigt i indisk film og i deres forskellighed der affødte en næsten vrede over folks nedsættende omtale, latterliggørelse, overbærenhed og andet kulturimperialisme der fik mig til at lave denne film. Det var tanker som f.eks. denne: når de hvide synes indiske film er så dumme - for det var altid den slags omtaler jeg læste, når jeg endelig læste noget - så må inderne jo være lige så dumme som deres film.. så vil jeg gerne være dum sammen med dem, for jeg kan godt lide deres film, for deres elegance, sensualitet, musikalitet, humor, passion m.m.
Det betyder ikke at der ikke er masser af elendige indiske film, men der er også masser af elendige vestlige film.
Og det betyder ikke at denne film har været let at lave. Først tog det mig tre år at skaffe penge, fordi projektet ikke appelerede til filminstituttets konsulent, så jeg måtte vente på den næste konsulent, og dels er det sin sag at vandre, en totalt fremmed, ind i den indiske filmindustri for at filme. Og så var der sammenstødet med en dansk produktionstankegang, som er liniær og firkantet og som egentlig ganske præcist illustrerer forskellen på vestlig og indisk film, for at lave denne film var at spille med på indiske vilkår og tankegang.. så der kom jeg i klemme.
Og så er det for resten besynderligt at se en indientrend komme buldrende inden jeg langt om længe bliver færdig med filmen og den kommer ud
It was my enfatuation with Indian cinema which accumulated an almost missionary desire to show people films they otherwise would not have seen. Indian films has a next to zero placement at the cinema repetoires, apart from a few art films. It was my fascination by the film medias grandeur as a cultural phenonomen in that country which took my breath away. It was my growing knowledge of and love for Indian cinema that lead to almost anger with peoples arrogance, ridicule, overbearing and other cultural imperialistic mind sets that made me make this film. It was thoughts like for example this: since the white think Indian films are so stupid – because it was always such mentioning I read, when there once in a while was something to read, written by people who obviously knew next to nothing – then Indians must to be as stupid as their films.. then I don’t mind being stupid with them, because I like their films, for their elegance, sensuality, passion, humour, musicality, and more. This does not mean that there aren’t loads of lousy Indian films, but there are also loads of lousy Western films.
And it noes not mean that this film was easy to make. First it took me three years to gather sufficient money, since this film did not appeal to the editor at the Film Institute, so I had to wait for the next person in office. Then it is no piece of cake, a total stranger, to walk into the Indian film industry to work, shoot, interview. And there was the clash with a Danish very linear and square production mode, that quite precisely illustrates the difference between Western and Indian film making and film thinking, because to do this film was to go with the Indian way.
And then, by the way, it’s rather odd the see an India trend come roaring while I am still working on the film.