‘Panic is a huge form of creativity,’ says Shekhar Kapur at Cinevesture fest

Kapur, the director behind such notable films as Masoom, Mr. India, Bandit Queen, Elizabeth, The Four Feathers, and What’s Love Got to Do with It, engaged in a freewheeling discussion about fear and creativity with his daughter, singer Kaveri Kapur.

• Mohnish Singh
• 02 April, 2024

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By: Mohnish Singh

Celebrated filmmaker Shekhar Kapur opened up about his hidden fears at the recently concluded Cinevesture International Film Festival in Chandigarh, India, and said that he finds panic is a huge form of creativity.

Kapur, the director behind such notable films as Masoom, Mr. India, Bandit Queen, Elizabeth, The Four Feathers, and What’s Love Got to Do with It, engaged in a freewheeling discussion about fear and creativity with his daughter, singer Kaveri Kapur.

“Fear drives me. I find panic is a huge form of creativity,” the filmmaker said. “When I, for example, shoot a film, I plan like a general going to war because you never know where the bullet is coming from. And then when I get to the set… suddenly, you’re faced with 200 people that say, give us the next shot. I don’t know what to say. Because by that time, I’ve convinced myself that I don’t know.”

He continued, “I’ll go to Cate Blanchett and say ‘What would you like to do?’ and she’ll say, ‘Shekhar, you’re doing it again. You don’t know, do you?’ ‘I say no, I’ve no idea what to do. So why don’t you start? And I’ll find out’.”

“You can’t plan for that moment because the moment hasn’t happened? How can you plan for that which does not exist? And so, the moment has to tell you something. There’s constant conversation about – is anxiety necessary for creativity? Is anxiety necessary for you just to take the next step? I don’t think so,” Kapur further added.

Meanwhile, the Cinevesture International Film Festival had 20 masterclasses and panel discussions featuring Shekhar Kapur, Karan Johar, Jaideep Ahlawat, Tahira Kashyap, Richa Chadha, Ali Fazal, Roshan Mathew, Abhay Deol, Sudhir Mishra, Suvinder Vicky, Boman Irani, Rasika Dugal, Rajshri Deshpande, Ajitpal Singh, Anurag Singh, and Saugata Mukherjee, Head of Content, SonyLiv, Sony Pictures Network India, etc.