Ashutosh Gowariker

What was your biggest lesson from your first two films not doing well?
At first, I thought the audience did not get it. I was delusional that I had made something beyond their understanding and that is why they did not get it. Soon I realized, it was me who did not get it! (Laughs). My storytellin,the narrative was not correct. In retrospect, I cherish my experience of making those two movies, because it is those very experiences that helped me make my subsequent. If I had not made those two movies, I would not have made Lagaan, which thankfully was appreciated by one and all. (Pauses) Sometimes I think, had those two films been hits, my journey would have been quite different.

Santosh Sivan

When do you think you noticed that light falls differently at different times and locations?
As a child, I would play hockey and Kerala is a place where the rains are unpredictable. As the youngest amongst the players, it was my job to stand on the highest terrace and keep a lookout for rain. (Laughs) Therefore, every day, for many months after school, while my friends played hockey, I was on a terrace looking at the sky. (Laughs) And I had to warn my friends if I thought it was going to rain. In those afternoons of watching the sky, I think I learnt to observe how the light changed if it was going to rain, or if it was going to be misty or foggy; so that’s where I learnt about light.