As a dedicated follower of Zoya Akhtar’s career, I find her journey as a filmmaker truly inspiring. Her resilience and determination are evident in the way she handles criticism and feedback. It’s clear that she has had her fair share of challenges, one of which was the unpleasant incident during the focus group screening for Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara.
As a devoted admirer looking back on my journey, I started off as a director with Luck By Chance (2009), which was then followed by Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, a film that stands out as one of my most successful works to date. The movie was met with great acclaim from both audiences and critics alike. However, during the premiere of ZNMD, an uncle of mine, in an unexpected outburst, labeled the movie ‘rubbish’.
Zoya was accompanied by Karan Johar in a conversation where they expressed their dislike towards the practice of previewing movies for focus groups. They found these individuals rather harsh in their criticism. Karan Johar remembered an instance when Zoya presented Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara to a sharp business mind, who commented, “There are too many travel scenes.” Upon hearing this, Zoya responded, “It’s a travel film.
During the screening of Gully Boy, the same individual expressed, “There’s too much rapping here.” Zoya then clarified to him, “This is a movie about rap,” and in response, he seemed puzzled, almost asking, “What am I doing here?” Later, Akhtar admitted that she tends to avoid feedback as she doesn’t want to listen to everything people say. Instead, she usually replies with a casual “okay” and carries on.
In her explanation as to why she no longer attends screenings, Zoya Akhtar shared an experience where she was criticized in a focus group. Specifically, there was an older gentleman who happened to be the producer’s friend’s father. This occurred during the focus group screening for ZNMD. He exclaimed, “This movie is terrible! What’s going on? They are driving!” At which point, Akhtar responded, “Sir, this film isn’t intended for you, as I cannot create a movie that caters to your tastes.
The 51-year-old expressed that the movie wasn’t really his cup of tea, but there were some young adults in their twenties who enjoyed the film. In response, they jumped into the discussion to support her. Later on, KJo added his thoughts, stating he disliked the process of research screenings. He compared it to standing in a line at a funeral with folded hands, waiting for some words to be spoken.
Outside an editing suite, a filmmaker’s emotions remain unchanged. Their physical responses give away whether they liked the work or not, so you often find yourself questioning their opinion, wondering if they will praise it or criticize it harshly.
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2024-09-25 12:08