DIRECTOR'S CUT- IRFAN KAMAL
By Jason Soares & Conchita Proenca
‘Thanks Maa’, written and directed by Irfan Kamal, is the first film to be premiered at the Indian Premiers. Irfan’s directorial debut revolves around the plight of kids being abandoned on the roads in India. The film is based on a 12 year old kid aptly named ‘Municipality’ who is on the run, and his search for the mother of an abandoned baby along with his four other friends.
As a director, this is his first trip to Goa, although he has visited the IFFI as an actor some time back. He has come to promote his film and be a part of the festivities. He also plans to travel with his film to other festivals across the world like the Cannes and Venice.
According to him, Indian cinema has better content than its western counterpart and are therefore quality films. He doesn’t believe in commercialisation of films, which seems to be the order of the day. “If a film is made with a good intention it will always do well”, opines Irfan.
Irfan says he is a story teller and likes to create a world of his own to get the message across. He is interested in making films based on reality. According to a 2001 census report, 217 kids are just dumped on the roads and are left to fend for themselves, says Irfan, which just shows stark reality of a developing nation like India in the 21st century. ‘Thanks Maa’ was shot at actual locations on the streets of Mumbai and the kids cast in the film had to be trained in acting since they were from the picked up from the slums.
