This interview with filmmaker Sudhanshu Saria explores his work on Loev.
Chris
For many people, Loev is just a (really great) movie they will see and experience. But, for you, Loev has been a journey, a major event in your life.
While writing the film, what thrilled you most? What scared you the most?
Sudhanshu
The pace with which the story was telling itself, I couldn’t keep up. I had this distinct feeling that if I stopped writing, even for a second, the story would slip right through my fingers. That was thrilling.
What scared me the most was its structure—it doesn’t follow the format of the conventional screenplay. There aren’t any traditional act breaks, no inciting incident and it takes a while to build. I didn’t know if audiences would have the patience for that.
Chris
During production, what was the biggest complication? What’s a moment that’s really stuck with you?
Sudhanshu
We had quite a few sequences to shoot in the Mumbai international airport. It’s a large, swanky, gorgeous airport that suits the film perfectly but it is also one of the most secure and policed locations in Mumbai. Shooting there with wireless radio microphones and expensive cameras and no permits would make our hearts pound every time. We just kept waiting for a cop to show up and put us in jail. Even today, two years after the fact, I get nervous when I land into or fly out of that airport.
There are too many moments that stick for me so it’s hard to choose but the hike was pretty special. It was such an idyllic location and having the whole team there, in one spot, working together on achieving that tough day felt nice. I like how the process of making a film brings strangers together and that was one of those days where I could see our Loev family forming.
Chris
In post, what was your feeling when you watched the first cut? What did you feel once you watched what would be the final cut?
Sudhanshu
Horrid. I thought we would have to re-shoot things and, even then, I wasn’t sure I could get there. I refused to show anyone anything because I thought they would panic. A couple of drinks down, my wonderful editor Nitesh and I just rolled up our sleeves and got to work.
By the end, I didn’t know if it would work for others but it was working for me. I had made the film I had written, the weird, unstructured, meandering film I wanted to make and that’s be best I could have hoped for. I remember holding on to that feeling and really enjoying it because I knew a lot of insults and rejections would follow so I wanted to enjoy that feeling a little bit. Luckily for me, my producers agreed with me and really loved the cut and have just been the best support a director could ask for. It really just feels like a fairy tale.
Chris
There’s a very subtle but well-developed theme of “childishness and seriousness in relationships”. We see this in the dynamic between Alex and Sahil then with Sahil and Jai. There seems to be a conversation going on about “how seriousness can someone be” and “how childish can someone be.”
Sudhanshu
Thank you for seeing that. I always think how shocking it would be if anyone on my crew who thinks of me as this confident, demanding guy saw the way I am when I visit my parents place. I regress into my childhood self, leaving dirty clothes and dishes everywhere. I feel like we all do that—we are different people in different relationships, sliding in and out of roles.
Chris
There are a ton of locations. And what I think is cool is the range of locations. Domestic, commercial, ancient, natural, small town, big city. What was the discovery process for these locations?
Sudhanshu
Sheer torture and no less crucial than casting. The roads had to be smooth and lit just right, the car had to be red and a four seater and affordable, the airport had to be rich and world class, the resort had to be small, affordable enough for Sahil and rustic, and the Mumbai hotel had to be the absolute opposite of that—the list of requirements for each location was endless and our budget for securing them was next to nothing. I was a complete nightmare because I refused to cheat locations and wanted to shoot long uninterrupted takes, but the terrific team at Bombay Berlin Film Productions got the job done.
Chris
The stoner kid was great, but could have been any type of character. Why a chill stoner?
Sudhanshu
Alex is using Junior as a tool and Junior isn’t even aware of it. We needed a character who could be a pawn without interfering in the complex negotiation the other three are engaged in. In that sense, the character served its function beautifully and even added some levity to those sequences.
Chris
Dhruv Ganesh gave a beautiful performance. It’s crushing when you get to the end and find out or remember that he’s no longer with us. I think he’d be very very proud of Loev.
Sudhanshu
I hope you’re right. I’m certainly very, very proud of him. I’m grateful I had the opportunity to direct him and I’m absolutely aware how special his contributions have made Loev. I was looking forward to a lifetime of performances from him in other films, of feeling possessive and jealous as other directors took him to greater heights but sadly, Loev is all we are going to get and that’s just wrong.
Chris
Unfortunately, India remains archaic in its views on homosexuality. How did that affect you growing up?
Sudhanshu
I’m not sure. I don’t think I was aware of it even. But human beings are like frogs—drop us in hot water, keep raising the temperature and we will keep re-defining what normal is.
Chris
How did it affect Loev during the production process?
Sudhanshu
It made us extra cautious, extra sensitive. We didn’t have the budget to deal with right wing groups or government agitation so we kept our head low and never told anyone what the film was really about. It also made it easier for those who wanted to help us with permits and equipment and crew to do their jobs because they didn’t have to go through the moral police component of the clearance. It felt very much like being in the closet!
Chris
What do you think the response from India, its government and its people, will be once Loev is readily available throughout the world?
Sudhanshu
Hard to predict but I hope it touches people. Beyond the politics and the agendas, it’s just a love story and we love watching those.
That said, even if it doesn’t make it through the government’s net, I’m not going to let that affect my experience of making this film. Films have their own journey and I’m just so grateful for how far we have come. I would rather be five people’s favorite film than be the film everyone kinda saw and knows about and I’ve already met so many of those five people during this process that everything going forward feels like a bonus.
