Shekhar reflects on 'filmmaking losing its innocence', hopes 'Masoom...' touches hearts

MUMBAI: Filmmaker Shekhar Kapur reminisced about his directorial debut 'Masoom', questioning whether filmmaking has lost its "innocence".

Reflecting on his journey, he expressed his desire to retain humility and emotional creativity as he embarks on the production of 'Masoom - The Next Generation'.

Shekhar took to Instagram and shared a throwback picture of actor Jugal Hansraj from 'Masoom' and penned a heartfelt note.

He wrote: "Has filmmaking lost its innocence? My relationship is with my audience. Masoom was my first film. I had not studied film, nor trained, nor assisted anyone. I had no experience... Yet no one questioned me. No one but my editors and my creative team asked me a single question. And so Masoom was born of pure instinct... of pure emotionality... pure story telling... And of innocence, as innocent as @thejugalhansraj is in the still above from Masoom. And of naivety. And of ‘not knowing’.'"

He continued, "Of searching for emotional answers to shots as they were being conceived... scenes as they are being conceived... as they are being shot...Films evolve as they take shape. They are not manufactured... they are created from the heart... they are created by pain and laughter and tears from the heart... of the actors, of the director, and films that touch the audience heart are born of humility.. from the acceptance of ‘not knowing’. When all of this comes together... you get a film that lasts decades. That still moves audiences three generations later..."

"As I now move into production of Masoom-the next generations, pray for me. Pray that I can find humility, pray that I can be emotionally and creatively naive, pray that my heart still can reach out to you. Pray that I have not become too arrogant by success .. pray that the the modern new ways of film making and does not interfere with what I call the ‘heart instinct’."

"For I am told by many of my filmmaker friends today is that there is too much ‘mind instinct’ that is being inflicted upon them in the process of production of their films! The best films are from the heart... I need your blessings," added Kapur.

The 1983 movie 'Masoom' is an adaptation of the 1980 Erich Segal novel 'Man, Woman and Child'.

The film stars Naseeruddin Shah and Shabana Azmi in lead roles.

It also features Tanuja, Supriya Pathak, and Saeed Jaffrey in pivotal roles, while Jugal Hansraj, Aradhana, and Urmila Matondkar were the child actors.