In Conversation With Shubhashish Bhutiani The Director Of HOTEL SALVATION

Subhashish Bhutiani, a 25 year old young man just debuted with his film HOTEL SALVATION. This film has made its way around in different film festivals, including the London Indian Film Festival and has now got an official theatrical release too. I was very fortunate to watch the film, which is very humane, and also got to meet the director himself. What follows below the trailer, is the conversation that I had with him. In Conversation With Shubhashish Bhutiani The Director Of HOTEL SALVATION

The London Tree: Why did you choose Varanasi as the location to shoot your film?

Subhashish Bhutiani: It was shot in Varanasi, because there is no where else in the world where it could be brought to life. The film is based on an idea in which Hindus believe that if they die in Varanasi they will attain salvation.

The London Tree: What was the experience like shooting a movie in locations which were at places over crowded with very narrow streets?

Subhashish Bhutiani: it is always interesting to shoot in spaces like that because you get to see the real atmosphere of a place while you hide your camera and capture the essence of the environment the characters are based in. When you put the noise, crowd and the chaos in the film, you kind of also get a chance to show the dichotomies of the atmosphere. In Conversation With Shubhashish Bhutiani The Director Of HOTEL SALVATION

The London Tree: How did you manoeuvre yourself in such an area where people are always curious to know what is happening the moment they see the cameras around them?

Subhashish Bhutiani: When you are shooting a film in such locations, you find very interesting places to put the cameras. You must go with a small group, and try not to call too much attention to yourself. There can be many different strategies to make your way around the curious public around you, but then again, if one person notices the camera then he or she tells it to the other person, and thus a chain reaction occurs and everyone is around you. Thus, be smart about it, and before going out, make a stealthy strategy and work on that.

The London Tree: How much margin did you give the actors to improvise in their characters that were given to them?

Subhashish Bhutiani: You can’t put a margin on something that the actors are trying to do. You always have to give the performers the freedom to try new ways of coming out with their performances. I am also very open to the changing of the script while the shooting is taking place. At times there are dialogues or scenes which sound right on the paper, but while shooting them practically, they look out of place. That is when I team up with my actors and work on the scenes and dialogues. I am very fortunate that I was working with very experienced people who came out with beautiful ideas, and who also helped me out in shooting this film. In Conversation With Shubhashish Bhutiani The Director Of HOTEL SALVATION

The London Tree: Do you think it would be right if I say that the lead actor Adil Hussain is a very quiet actor who focuses more on getting into his character to give a good performance?

Subhashish Bhutiani: I can’t really speak for him because he understands himself more than I do, but I know that he has a theatre background which has enabled him to play his character in a very smart and in an intelligent manner. What looked very special in Adil for me was that he uses his body as an instrument and very expertly relays a dialogue without even saying it out in words. He uses emotions, face expressions and body language. He is a very wonderful actor and I have learned a lot from him.

The London Tree: The film had its UK Premier in The London Indian Film Festival recently. What kind of a response did you get?

Subhashish Bhutiani: I think every time an audience watches a film, you never know what you will get. But this audience was very warm and receptive and had a lot of stories to share and questions to ask me. I would like to believe that they were moved by the film. In Conversation With Shubhashish Bhutiani The Director Of HOTEL SALVATION

Images: BFI

Special Thanks to Media Hive