Shubhashish Bhutiani
Profile of the Week

Photography by Ishani Das

Shubhashish Bhutiani Mukti Bhawan

When the writer and director of Mukti Bhawan sits down to tell you about his life, you can’t help but observe how storytelling has consumed him—in a therapeutic way. Ask Shubhashish Bhutiani about his childhood and he will take you back in time, when being on stage gave him the highest joy. From getting the best roles to directing Peter Pan all at 16, he cut right through the noise at a young age. Shubhashish studied at Woodstock in Mussoorie, graduated from the School of Visual Arts in New York and presently works out of his Mumbai studio, but says that he doesn’t belong anywhere.

Kush, his first short film, was applauded across film festivals before becoming a part of the Oscar longlist in 2013. But it was in 2015 that he wrote his debut feature, the story of a father who asks his son to take him to Benaras to attain Moksha [salvation]. The city of Benaras, defined by the specters of faith and worship, offers such guest houses where people go to die—thinking that this act, undertaken in the holy city will bring them closer to god. The script has been drawn from a plethora of experiences shared by people who arrive at the hotel at the eleventh hour, when death is imminent. The script is concrete and original. After travelling to festivals in Venice, Busan, Dubai and Gottenberg among others, Mukti Bhawan released last Friday.

For a debut feature, a story about death is a murky field to venture into.
I went on a backpacking trip with a friend, and Benaras was our last stop. I had heard about the salvation hotels through a news article, so I was really curious to go and visit one. It’s a dark theme but really fascinating at the same time. I went there just as an inquisitive guy at first. I talked to the manager and saw this rule board behind him...gradually I started talking to the people there, seeing how days panned out. I talked to many guests, heard their stories—how long they’d been waiting to attain Moksha, as they put it. And I realised that this is a crazy concept adopted by human beings. It may be something unusual for you and me, but it is followed by people like us. The thought stayed with me for a long time and there was this particular story that stayed with me—about a son who had to bring his father there. I thought it was really powerful; a son taking his father to die...what it would mean for the son and the family. I wrote the script in freehand first…you’ll find little humour in it, some sadness, and a little gentleness somewhere. I realised that there is no genre to this movie. I just wanted to translate this feeling onto the screen.

Shubhashish Bhutiani A still from Mukti Bhawan

A still from Mukti Bhawan

The guest house as a set must have assumed a character of its own. 
We didn’t shoot inside the actual guest house. My product designer has done a fantastic job. There are three or four such guest houses in Benaras, and I wanted to make my own version because I liked some characters of each. All of them had very different qualities. I changed quite a few things about the property we shot in; we changed the colour of the building because we saw a particular colour palette a lot in Benaras—yellow/green/very colourful. All this was visually very exciting, to show a very colourful place as the place of death. 

Getting the funds mustn’t have been easy. 
I wrote the film and then found out about the Biennale Cinema College. I had roughly written the screenplay before getting in touch with them. They give micro budgets to young filmmakers. I was 23 when I first pitched the idea to them in 2015. It was a great opportunity. I got very lucky with the funding. The first time I sent the script, people were ready to back it. First-time filmmakers have a hard time getting funds, but it was a very organic process for me.

Shubhashish Bhutiani A still from Mukti Bhawan

A still from Mukti Bhawan

The cast comes across as an interesting mix of talented artists. 
Initially, I had two actors in mind—Lalit Behl, who plays the father in the film [I didn’t have him as an actor in mind but I really liked his face. I had seen him in Titli], and Geetanjali Kulkarni because I have liked her performances and she is someone I really get along with. And Palomi Ghosh plays the daughter in the film. I was at a film event and AR Rahman had come for a talk. She got up from the audience and asked him as to how her music could reach him. And he said, ‘surprise me’. She started singing right there and then. I felt that was very charismatic, to start singing amidst a bunch of strangers. She had more courage than I will ever have, and that quiet courage was something I wanted this character to have. Later, when we were discussing one of the two main characters, Adil [Hussain] was really the name on everyone’s lips. So we got in touch and he agreed.

Shooting in Benaras must have its set of trials. 
Initially, I was very intimidated. The first two days were tough, because you realise that everybody is looking to you for instructions. They are clueless about what to do next. On my part, I had so many ideas, and the next second I was like what is going on! Because, to be honest, this is what I wanted to do all my life. I had been waiting for this for so long. I had been dreaming about it. I had spent sleepless nights over it. And when it was actually happening, I freaked out. Our sets were always so crowded. The house next to the set was the site of a wedding. So a merry place right next to the house of death, that was an amazing irony. Every day after seven-o-clock, the celebrations began, so we had to pack up. But we also embraced that situation—there is a scene in the film where the manager is giving the guests a tour of the hotel, and that’s when he says that on the right, there is a wedding hall and on the left, there is a stable. I thought we must accept everything that our location offered! Another day, when we were shooting, there was a wedding procession in the afternoon. So we actually put that whole band baaja sound in the film as well.

Shubhashish Bhutiani A still from Mukti Bhawan

A still from Mukti Bhawan

The music strikes a very personal note.
I would go for these quirky music gigs at my friend’s place. Very informal sessions where you get to meet creative people. Sometimes people get their instruments and start playing organically. That was where I had met Tajdar Junaid for the first time and heard his music. In fact, his song Dastaan was the one I often heard while writing Mukti Bhawan. That is why I asked him to come on board, as it inspired me to a great level.

Let’s talk about the future.
I have two ideas that I’m working on, and probably in a few months I will be clearer in my head about what I’m doing. Right now I’m at a very early stage in writing, which involves a lot of research. Also, getting Mukti Bhawan to as many people as possible is on my agenda. 


Text Hansika Lohani Mehtani

Shubhashish Bhutiani A still from Mukti Bhawan

A still from Mukti Bhawan