Unlikely fame

Oscar nominee Paresh Mokashi dwells in the golden era.

Paresh Mokashi may have been India’s lone torchbearer at the Oscars this year for Harishchandrachi Factory, but the filmmaker himself considers it as a most unlikely thing to happen.“I had never thought about an Oscar nomination while filming,” says Mokashi.

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Neither does he expect “to be in the league some of the most extraordinary” gentlemen — Mokashi is currently being showcased in the UTV World Movies’ ‘50 Movies To See Before You Die’ series. “Oh, I’ve seen the likes [Akira] Kurosawa here,” he says. “It’s an honour.” Though he is currently working on two projects, Mokashi doesn’t prefer current Hindi films if given a choice.

“I still love films by Vijay Anand and Guru Dutt,” he says, highlighting how important music has been in their movies. “These days, people say that realistic movie shouldn’t have songs,” the Marathi filmmaker points. “Then what were these classics?” Would he consider doing a Bollywood flick? “I would, definitely, but the work should excite me,” says Mokashi, who believes Indian cinema, though improving, is yet come of age. Who are the few Indian directors he thinks are a must-watch? “V Shantaram, Guru Dutt and Satyajit Ray,” he shoots back in one breath.