Of jokers, aliens and Nazis

Faruk Kabir is the director of Allah Ke Banday. Here he speaks about five films that have influenced him as a filmmaker.

Mera Naam Joker
While Shakespeare’s works attracted me to the world of stories, it was Raj Kapoor’s Mera Naam Joker that introduced and enticed me to the world of movies, and ultimately inspired me to make films someday. I’m a diehard fan of Raj Kapoor classics, but my all-time favourite is Mera Naam Joker. Many people thought I was too young to even grasp the story, but I think that’s where the beauty lay in Raj saab’s work. He could have as deep an impact on the mind of an eight-year-old, as he could have on someone who’s 80 years old.

I’m a huge fan of Mera Naam Joker, not only as an avid film-lover myself, but also as a film-maker. His style of narration, distinctively etched-out characters, and the story itself spoke volumes about human emotions. While watching the film I became Raju. I could feel off-screen what he felt on-screen, I cried with him and laughed with him. I fell in love with Marina and Meena and felt his heart break too. For this film alone, he’s my Guru.

Amar Akbar Anthony
You don’t have to be a cinema lover to be a fan of this one. I have lost count of the number of times I’ve seen this film. It’s as filmi as it gets, it’s loud, has over-the-top melodrama, unbelievable coincidences, the most clichéd twists and turns, but Manmohan Desai makes you lap it all up. That’s the power of a filmmaker as a storyteller that I hope to imbibe someday. Total paisa vasool. I’m sure if the film was to re-release today, it would still go housefull, cricket season or not! I’m sure every filmmaker would love to recreate that magic in the hearts of the audiences, but this film will overpower even the best attempt. The way this film could connect with the audiences is something that we all can only hope for as filmmakers.

Life is Beautiful
This is one of the few films that broke all language barriers. It went straight to the hearts of audiences the world over; no matter what genres the audience would normally enjoy. This is a film that’s again very close to my heart. It only seemed fair when it won the Best Foreign Film Oscar award. As for me, I simply fell in love with this Robert Benigni film.

I love the way Benigni makes you feel for the characters, and how hard it makes you pray for everything to be alright in the end. But despite the fact that it doesn’t have the ‘happily ever after’ ending, it makes you smile through the tears. As a filmmaker, this is truly aspirational. The beauty is that there’s nothing that you can point out as a brilliant technical aspect. But it’s rare that so many elements come together to fit so perfectly that nothing seems amiss at all!

Children of Heaven
This is one film that I will always hold very close to my heart. It’s moved me as a filmmaker, and I was deeply inspired by this one for my own debut film. The subtlety and the simplicity made my heart reach out to its characters, as well as the struggle the child goes through. It’s like what Majid Majidi said — this tale made me want to remain in my seat long after the film was over. I’ve been extremely influenced by Majidi’s storytelling, and the way he captures and reflects innocence and the simplicity on camera.

E.T.
This film just stands out for me, simply because it made me believe that there’s extraterrestrial life out there. I remember praying hard to come across an alien myself. As a filmmaker, Steven Spielberg took us to the highest points of our imaginations — and convinced us of its possibility. That’s something not many filmmakers can achieve. Today it may not seem like a big deal, but to have thought of this story back then and to have made the world believe in your fantasies, is something again that most filmmakers can only hope to do.

 As told to Aakanksha Naval-Shetye