You can't fake it: Saurabh Shukla on filmmaking with integrity

Saurabh Shukla reflected on his journey as a filmmaker, saying he makes films primarily as a way to express himself and share the world he believes in.

Actor, writer, and filmmaker Saurabh Shukla recently opened up about what drives him as a storyteller. In an exclusive conversation with India Today, he spoke about why he makes films and how his understanding of cinema has evolved over the years.When asked why he directs only a few films, Saurabh Shukla said filmmaking, for him, is simply a way of expressing himself.

“I think that it’s simply this - they say, ‘Why do you become an artist, right? Why do you become an actor, a poet, a writer, or a painter? It’s to express yourself. So, I think that I make films to express myself,” he said.The actor added that storytelling often becomes a medium through which filmmakers project the kind of world they believe in.

“And here I’ll just add one thing that I have realised, and I am very happy that at least for me it works this way. Every story is just an excuse to tell the world you want to see or want to believe,” he said.Shukla also reflected on an older interview from 2000, where he had described his preference for making realistic films, even though they were challenging to make.

Looking back at that phase of his life, the actor admitted that his perspective was shaped by the anxieties and ambitions of being younger in the industry.

"In 2000, I was younger and slightly more desperate. I wanted to say that my work is realistic and no one is watching it - all of that,” he said.However, after more than two decades in cinema, Shukla believes the debate between realistic and fantastical storytelling is no longer the most important question for a filmmaker.

“Today, what I feel after 26 years is that it really doesn’t matter whether you are making something realistic or fantastical, or in some form, or making something absurd, or whatever you are making. What is more important is how much you are able to connect with people,” he added.He emphasised that authenticity and emotional honesty matter more than the genre itself. “So, if you are doing it with your heart and soul, whatever you are doing, that is what matters,” he said.At the same time, Shukla acknowledged that not every genre fits every filmmaker. Using the popular franchise Bhool Bhulaiyaa as an example, he said he enjoys watching such films but would not necessarily be able to make one himself.