Ghatak had given Vidhu Vinod Chopra his name

Vidhu Vinod Chopra learnt to chase excellence from Ritwik Ghatak

It was the maverick Bengali filmmaker Ritwik Ghatak who had given filmmaker Vidhu Vinod Chopra his name and taught him to chase excellence. Chopra said when he went to study at Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) in Pune his name was Vinod Kumar Chopra.

Ghatak, his teacher, did not like his name and suggested him to add ‘Vidhu’. “He said you put Vidhu Vinod Chopra. That’s a good name. I owe my name to him,” Chopra, who is now making his Hollywood debut with the English film ‘Broken Horses’, told reporters here today.

The 62-year-old filmmaker said he learnt from Ghatak that if one chased excellence success would follow. “This is what I said in ‘3 Idiots’ and that’s what I say in real life,” he said adding that Ghatak always spoke in Bengali to him.”But I did not understand Bengali. Out of love and affection he called me a Bengali and spoke to me in Bengali,” Chopra said.

On his experience in Hollywood, he said, “They look down upon Bollywood film thinking we are loud people who make song and dance films. “They really don’t respect (Bollywood). After Satyajit Ray, they don’t even know Ritwick Ghatak,” he said adding he wanted to prove that Bollywood can do it as good as Hollywood if not better.

Directed by Chopra, the Amitabh Bachchan-starrer ‘Eklavya -The Royal Guard’ was India’s 2007 Oscar entry. His 2009 film ‘An Encounter with Faces’ was also nominated for an Academy Award in the Documentary Short Subject category in 1979.

When asked about his dream for the Oscars, Chopra said he did not care about the Academy Awards any more.
“Now awards have become more of marketing and television show-off. Unfortunately even the Oscars,” he said adding that it was not that he would not go to take it if he got it but he would not do anything for it.

On his future projects in Hollywood, Chopra said he is already in talks with two studios. “If I have a script that is challenging I will do it,” he said.

Source:: Indian Express