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Films: The millennial magic of 35mm
Young millennial producer Dheer Momaya is redefining the poetry of production with his creative investment in storytelling
There was a time when people hugged each other, even kissed. A time when entire faces could be seen, a gathering on the weekend was normal and so was going out for movies.
But the Friday blockbuster is now a weekday 2 am binge-watch on the couch. This may be comforting and comfortable, but people really, really miss the big screen experience.
This is the ironic story of how Dheer Momaya’s latest production Last Film Show, a Gujarati feature film directed by Pan Nalin, premiered with the largesse of that big-screen experience at the Tribeca Film festival on June 10 in New York. The film is set against the backdrop of Indian cinema in Gujarat as it traverses the journey of the film-watching experience from celluloid to digital. Dheer calls the big screen premiere of the film “a test of patience”, but he’s more than happy today.
“Since we decided to have a festival opening, the theatrical distribution of Last Film Show was stalled due to the pandemic and that was not exactly a silver lining,” says Dheer, who spent months soothing the financiers of the movie who wanted to start getting a return on their capital.
His blood pressure soared even higher when Nalin decided to start fiddling with the edit. However, he didn’t question the filmmaker’s decision.
“I’m sure it made the film better and since Nalin is also a producer on the film just as much I am, he knew what the final impact would be,” says Dheer. “A lot of uncertainty and existential threats came with the pandemic, but we could overcome that.”
Partners all the way
Last Film Show is Dheer’s third production under his Jugaad Motion Pictures banner, which he runs with writer, director and his wife of two years, Daria Gaikalova. The two of them have been the creative heads behind several music videos, including Liggi and Sage, movies like Namdev Bhau and Teen Aur Aadha, and a few ad campaigns.
Many couples pull off personal and professional partnerships in an effortless manner and this couple is no different.
“Dar is a very producer-friendly creator as she understands where money needs to be spent and where it doesn’t need to be spent. She’s very open to feedback and is an incredible talent to work with as a director and producer,” says Dheer.
But is work part of conversations over dinner? “There’s no boundary. We work 24x7 or discuss work all the time,” confesses Dheer. Even while watching movies and shows, they often break down scenes and stories, he adds.
“We both, especially Dar, have so many ideas that we discuss them even at the end of a 15-hour work day and send notes to the team the very next day, asking for research on the idea. It’s this process that has given life to so many ideas,” says Dheer.
The two of them seldom agree on anything. Dheer calls this ‘constructive conflict’ and says that their best work comes when they are at opposing ends at the start of a project and then pick the best of their arguments to arrive at the project’s end.
“Our creative egos cause loggerheads between the two of us, but we have a think tank from whom we bounce off ideas to arrive at the best for that particular detail,” explains Dheer. This does not always come at the cost of compromise but is the result of “an immense trust system that works for each other”.
Real stories, real people
The think tank is what makes Jugaad the millennial workplace it is. The couple has made it a home for everyone associated with the brand. The youthful exuberance of a team of under-30s aligns with the kind of story-telling Dheer wishes to do.
“Even our line producers are aged below 30 and our idea is that we might burn ourselves with someone’s inexperience, but we will never lack youthful energy,” says Dheer. “The decision-making is lateral and the power of decision-making is handled by different people.”
Namdev Bhau, a 2018-movie directed by Dar that premiered at the Busan film festival, shows the power of youthful energy. Although the story is centred on a man in his late fifties, elements of the plot bring youthfulness and cheer to the screen.
“Namdev Bhau is not a real story. I had a very loose plot written about someone who is fed up with the noise of Mumbai and Dar had written a separate story about something else and so had a third writer. We realised there could be a great amalgamation and that’s how the screenplay came to life,” recounts the young producer-filmmaker.
But the real essence of the film is in the man who plays the lead, the person on whom the characterisation was based – Namdev Gurav, who has been Dheer’s parents’ chauffeur for over two decades.
Most of the couple’s projects involve real people on screen and Dheer applauds his wife’s casting sensibilities.
“Dar is able to see nuanced performances in real people. Even my grandparents have featured in the Liggi video and my grand-uncle is now a seasoned actor in most of our projects,” he laughs.
Empathy wins
Dheer plays various roles in his company, including producer, filmmaker and creative head. “Whether you contribute in a large or a small role, it is empathy towards your work that translates to the bigger picture on screen. Even your biggest villain needs to have some kind of empathy built into them so you can humanise them,” he says.
“For instance, Thanos is one of the greatest villains of all time, but his demonism comes from the fact that he’s empathetic. He wants the world to survive, so he believes killing half the population is the only way it can work. Then he becomes a farmer on a small planet just because he feels guilt. I’m a very director-creator friendly producer because at the end of the day, it is our responsibility to make the creator’s vision come true.”
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From HT Brunch, June 27, 2021
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