Shoojit Sircar on ‘If India can make an ‘Adolescence’?’: Just look at Richie Mehta

Filmmaker Shoojit Sircar discusses India's content landscape at Content India Summit, emphasizing the importance of powerful storytelling.

Filmmaker Shoojit Sircar (Piku, Sardar Udham) has weighed in on the whole ‘can India make an Adolescence?’ debate. 

The hit Netflix miniseries created by Jack Thorne and Stephen Graham has been universally praised for its craft, performances and exploration of complex themes. The four-part British drama centres on a 13-year-old boy accused of murdering a female classmate, unravelling the influence of misogynistic online content on impressionable young boys. 

Indian filmmakers like Sudhir Mishra and Anurag Kashyap have praised the series while questioning if streaming platforms would support such content in India. The series also registered a strong viewership in India.

“There’s been a lot of discussions around this,” Sircar said on a panel at the recent Content India Summit in Mumbai. “I can talk about myself and my films. The kind of stories that I wanted to tell, I was able to. So I do not go with that argument about Adolescence, because there are films which were made here—many kinds of films that are relevant to social issues or whatever—that do not have that populist side to them but have strong storytelling, which is evident in a lot of places.” 

The filmmaker, whose banner Rising Sun Films has backed path-breaking films like Vicky Donor and Pink, took a hopeful view of India’s content landscape. 

“I think it’s the strength of the director and the writer that they go with. I mean, somebody mentioned Richie Mehta. He made and proved his point with Delhi Crime and Poacher. Look at the kind of writing and production that he did. So, I’m not debating on that. My point is that we will need those kinds of stories and writers who will do it and be at it.” 

Nevertheless, Sircar highlighted rising and impractical costs of production that often stymie powerful content.