The 55-year-old director, who is currently in India to celebrate the 25th anniversary of her debut film Salaam Bombay, says she has tried to challenge the stereotypes.
Director Mira Nair, who has been behind internationally acclaimed films like Salaam Bombay, Monsoon Wedding and The Namesake, says she has made a conscious effort throughout her career not to be a third world apologist.
Besides presenting stories from India to western audiences, Nair is also one of the most successful Indian-American filmmakers in Hollywood having directed films like Mississippi Masala, Vanity Fair and Amelia.
The 55-year-old director, who is currently in India to celebrate the 25th anniversary of her debut film Salaam Bombay, says she has tried to challenge the stereotypes.
"The thing I didn't want to do ever was to apologise for my films. I wanted to have a standard of excellence that could beat anything. I didn't want to be a third world apologist, which is what I saw in the west when I was in college (Harvard).
"They never saw Indian films, and when we did see anything from the other part of the world, they were all of terrible quality. I didn't ever want that. I wanted to be as good as the best," Nair told PTI.
Her upcoming film Reluctant Fundamentalist, an adaptation of Pakistani author Mohsin Hamid's novel of the same name, talks about the Asian perspective post 9/11 world, which she believes has not been presented well.
Salaam Bombay her debut film made on a shoestring budget, continues to thrive even after 25 years. It is being re-released by PVR on March 22.
The film bagged numerous awards and recognition – including the prestigious Golden Camera Award, Audience Awards at the Cannes Film Festival in 1989 and an Oscar nomination in the best foreign film category.
"I am really glad today because it is a 25 years on and we have done an amazingly new digital print. The film just pops with its energy and beauty as well. It is completely a modern movie. I could see it few nights ago at the premiere of the film in Mumbai. It made people laugh, sob, weep and laugh again.
"It is the power of performances. It is the visual quality which is a very modern. The spirit of Mumbai is very today. It is just that we could not make the movie today on the streets the way it is," Nair said.
Salaam Bombay was co-written by Sooni Taraporewala and Nair. Set in the red light district in Mumbai, the film chronicles the day-to-day life of street children, drug-pushers, pimps and prostitutes.
"It was one of those life and death movie. But it was unbelievable because we would shoot in the morning and I would work all night calling Europe, America or Germany because of time difference, to give us money for the next day's shoot.
"It was like walking a tight rope on daily basis. There were no cellphones and we would shoot one scene and then I would just run to the next street to find another location to shoot and I would call them to come. There were 52 locations in 52 days, but we never said die," Nair said recalling the experience.
Salaam Bombay starred child actors Shafiq Syed, Hansa Vithal and Chanda Sharma and Nair said it was the kids' energy and undying spirit that kept them going during the making of the film.
"The kids were amazing because we had done a six week workshop and they were really part of our blood. They kept me going because they were so honest and there was no room for self pity. They were like 'Didi, we have to do it, come what may'. And it was that kind of spirit that kept me going. It was the first film for all of us. For Sooni, Sandi Sissel, who shot it, for L Subramaniam, who composed music for the film," Nair said.
The filmmaker believes that Salaam Bombay has been the best thing to have happened to her and the film is the reason behind her success as a filmmaker.
"Salaam continues to help me. It is the power of good film. It continues to open doors for me. Denzel Washington said yes to me for Mississippi Masala because of Salaam Bombay. Henri Cartier-Bresson, the famed French photographer asked me to celebrate his 80th birthday with him because he wanted to spend time with people he admired most and we flew to Paris looking at art together.
"Acclaimed Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi once kissed my hand and said, Salaam Bombay. And even now many major actors want to work with me because of these films as they trust me," she added.
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