‘While theatre is the root, cinema offers full storytelling experience’

 

 

“Jai Shivray!” As he said this in masterclass on ‘script to screen’, the attendees gave him a round of applause. The applause came out of reverence to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, respect for the values the great king symbolised, and love for filmmaker Digpal Lanjekar. A man with quiet demeanor, eyes sparkling with ideas, and smile arising out of contentment of serving a cause well chosen, Lanjekar is a writer-director of the hugely popular historical eight-movie series ‘Shri Shivraj Ashtak’. So far, he has made five of the eight movies -- ‘Farzand’, ‘Fatteshikast’, ‘Pawankhind’, ‘Sher Shivraj’, and ‘Subhedar’. Now, he is working on 6th in ‘Shri Shivraj Ashtak’ series of movies. Amid the bustle at the Nagpur Film Festival at RTMNU premises, ‘The Hitavada’ caught up with Digpal Lanjekar in a brief conversation on intricacies of cinema, portrayal of history.

 

Even in those brief minutes, what emerged was the impression of quietly-dynamic and very action-oriented thought leader of the Marathi cinema. As if he was searching for something within himself, Digpal Lanjekar’s eyes acquired a sudden, distant look even as he emoted about his approach to film-making in all its aspects. By proclamation, he is no doubt, a Director. But he approaches his projects with the comprehensiveness of an all-in-one producer. But what is amazing, is his friendly nuanced understanding of his subject. However, far more important is his commitment to the issue of history. That led him to make immense financial contribution to creating historical memorial of Tanaji Malusare, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s warrior ‘Subhedar’.

 

On what is next after the eight-part film series and if there is another character or story on his mind, Lanjekar clarified that currently, his focus remains firmly on completing the remaining three films in the series on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and his army. “Five films are already done, but the next three require immense effort, especially with VFX and other aspects that take significant time,” he shared. Speaking about what he considers the most effective medium of storytelling among theatre, television, and film, Lanjekar firmly believes in the power of cinema. “Cinema provides a complete experience.

 

It has the power to evoke emotions and even change perspectives. Of course, theatre is the mother of cinema, and as a film-maker I owe my roots to it,” he remarked. Asked if he had considered acting in movies, Lanjekar laughed and admitted, “I play small roles in my own films. If someone offers me an opportunity, I will surely consider taking it up!” Lanjekar, who holds a Master of Arts (MA) degree in Sanskrit, revealed that his knowledge of the language made it easier for him to understand books written in Sanskrit during research for his films. “Every native language, including one’s mother tongue, has a treasure trove of literature. So, I will advise the youngsters to first read in the languages one knows. Every Indian language offers abundance of literature. Once one has grasped the native language, one can move on to Sanskrit or any other language to access even more literature,” he explained. On keeping historical stories alive for the youth, he discussed the importance of introducing younger generations to historical narratives like those of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. “If we do not know our heritage and fail to learn from our past, we are bound to repeat the same mistakes. Falling teaches us lessons: What caused us to fall and how to avoid it in the future. Otherwise, we as a society, risk repeating our errors,” he said.

 

Speaking about authentic narrative in historical films, Lanjekar said, “Creators should include only those incidents for which references exist in at least two books or documents. This reflects history as it happened.” Lanjekar shared that he and his team conducted field research to study the food, clothing, and cultural practices of the time in the areas where that history had unfolded during the era of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. “Hence, ‘Shri Shivraj Ashtak’ is a hundred per cent authentic cultural document,” he emphasised. For the aspiring film-makers, his journey of life is inspiring. Even while writing for television serials, he kept working on the first movie ‘Farzand’. “On the sets of the television serials, I used to work on my laptop. I kept 6,500 shots for the movie ready, even though the script of the film took four-and-a-half years to find a producer,” he said. Earlier, in masterclass session, Digpal Lanjekar recalled starting small. “I began writing scripts for Ganeshotsav events.

 

Then, I moved on to one-act plays. As people appreciated my work, I kept writing. Literature, especially the excellent works of G N Dandekar (GoNiDa), influenced me,” he added. He advised aspiring writers to study one-act plays by renowned writers-directors-actors Yogesh Soman and Pravin Tarde for dialogues, thoughts, and twists. Digpal Lanjekar was in a hurry. He was also in demand. Yet, when he spoke, he did so in a quiet confidence that stemmed from the mastery he has achieved over not just the medium but also its message.