Q: How did films happen to an Army officer?
A: I was always passionate about theatre, writing, and then I happened to meet Raj Kapoor, and soon joined him for the making of Prem Rog, Ram Teri Ganga Maili Ho Gayee and Henna. I have given years of my life to the Army, I’ve seen war, fought, learnt everything, and it was time to move on. Creativity was my hobby, uniform a passion.

Q: After Henna, you decided to move on, as an independent filmmaker under Ishaan Films and bagged a National Award too!
A: Yes, Paramveer Chakra was my baby. I wrote, directed and produced it. And I experimented with it. To get that authentic feel, three of my actors went to NDA for training, quite unheard of in the ‘90s. The film did fairly well, bagging couple of awards.

Q: Where do you think filmmakers go wrong with war films?
A: They stick to cliches. More than cross-border politics, we should focus on cross-border relationships. The approach has to be fresh. In fact, I am planning my next project on India and Pakistan.

Q: But are the men in uniform given their due?
A: There is a pride in wearing the uniform, it’s a glorious feeling. To be a part of the Forces builds on your character, you make a self-discovery, imbibe true values, be a novel citizen, and everyone should have a basic Army experience. But unfortunately, the distance between the cantonments and civil area is shrinking and the difference arises there. The worlds clash and young men are lured away by hefty packages. To give the forces its due, the nation needs to take care of the people who give their best to it, bring them to a level where they are proud of their country and family and are able to sustain them. Remember, economics is at play here.

Q: From action and now animation. Very few people know the man behind the longest animation done in the world. How is the Indian industry reacting to this growing dimension?
A: Seven-and-a-half lakh frames were hand drawn for Bhagmati: Queen of Fortune. It took us three years to train 300 animators and another three to make the film. I gave seven years to this film! At that time, the concept of animation was alien to this country, but now, it’s blending in with other medias. Bhagmati opened a lot of windows.