Rupesh Paul: 'Producers just wanted to sleep with Sherlyn Chopra'
A tough taskmaster by the looks of it, Rupesh went on to explain that despite having differences with the actors, they always maintained a certain protocol where the director had the final word — whether in terms of the scenes or the title. While the latter he believes, helps draw attention, it is not quite what it’s being made out to be. “It’s not a porn film and was never meant to be. It is an adaptation of Vatsyayana’s Kamasutra and depicts the journey of a soulful love embroiled with betrayal and war. If anything, it’s a war musical,” he says adding that it is unfortunate the way the text is conceived in India. “We Indians are hypocrites. India is synonymous with Kamasutra abroad and we take pride in the fact that our ancestors were so forward. But we shy away from uttering the word. It’s seen as a sacred text overseas, but a mere sex manual in our own country. It’s much more than that,” he urges.
It is probably this conception that made it difficult for Paul to find producers for the film. “People didn’t want to invest in the film because they thought I was making porn. Those who showed some interest immediately asked if either Sherlyn or the other girls were willing to bed them. I was taken to be a pimp. After two years of running around with the script I finally found the best of producers, who showed faith in the project,” says the journalist-turned-director.
While the film is more than an erotic tale, there is much nudity in the film, he admits. The Indian theatrical audience may not be able to devour the film in its original version (thanks to the censor board), but the international version will be much bolder, he assures. Of which, Paul says, “There’s a scene in the film where Sherlyn makes love to another girl. The girls were given a script and story board, but they got so immersed in the shot that they didn’t care for it and continued with the scene for 45 minutes — till the camera batteries drained out.”
The film he tells us, has been shot entirely on a ship, 14 kms away from shore. Wobbly cameras and crew falling prey to sea-sickness every now were among a few hassles that the crew faced. “One of the ships got burnt during the shoot as well. We haven’t been able to ascertain the cause of the fire. It might have been sabotage, but fact is, what stood as a tall magnificent ship one day was reduced to skeleton and ashes overnight,” he says.
According to the makers, Kamasutra is the first film to be shot entirely in the sea and other water bodies and has already made an appearance at the 66th Cannes Film Festival. Neeta Lulla has designed the costumes for the film and Saroj Khan has choreographed dances sequences. Also, it is the only Indian film contending in the music category for the 86th Academy Awards.
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