Big B is like child B: Shoojit Sircar

Shoojit Sircar talks to RT about how Bachchan danced with members of Siddhi tribes to celebrate Gujarat���������s tribal tourism
With controversy raring its ugly head over the way Indian tourism ought to be promoted especially in the context of Odish���������a Bonda tribes, admen across India are voicing their concerns about the exploitation of ethnic tribes. Director Shoojit Sircar, who is on a 12-day trail with Big B to promote Gujarat tourism before going on to plan the concept to promote tourism in Jammu and Kashmir, insists that tribal tourism of Odisha needs to be pitched properly to woo international travelers.
Needless to say, promoting tribal tourism is a challenging exercise. ���������Tribal tourism, be it in Gujarat, Odisha or Jharkhand, has to be handled with care. I have come across reports of the way some tour operators have promoted the Bonda tribes and that���������s just not the right way to do things by luring visitors with adverts talking about them being ���������primitive��������� and ���������semi-naked���������. The interest in tribal tourism will always be there. I say, promote tribals with respect. If I had to shoot the Bonda tribes I would definitely show their faces but never will I use such terms to lure visitors. In Gujarat, there is this place where reside this ethnic Gujarati group of African decent called Siddhis. Some of them live in the jungles along with lions. It���������s a case of peaceful coexistence. In a film on them, I have this scene where Mr Bachchan dances with the Siddhi tribes. I���������ve celebrated their spirit. Look at how Australia promotes its tourism even while mentioning the aborigines. They never mean any disrespect and can���������t think of engaging in human safaris. If a state like Gujarat can do so much with its tourism despite it having a freeze on liquor sales, I see no reason why states like West Bengal, Jharkhand and Odisha, with their incredible destinations, should stop short of promoting themselves properly. West Bengal has such a nice rain forest. Kolkata is a heritage city and yet it���������s never really been tapped as a great tourism destination. The colour of water of the sea in Odisha is crystal clear and is only comparable to what we find in Goa,��������� the director insists.
Planning tourism films are an interesting exercise. ���������It was quite a challenge for me to shoot last year���������s campaign with Big B for Gujarat. The second leg of our campaign in Gujarat began on January 23 and will end on February 3. During the course of this 12-day schedule, we are shooting six films. We call it the six trails of Gujarat ��������� Buddha trail, festival trail, handicrafts trail, temple trail, navratri trail and Ambadevi trail. Big B is the sutradhar in the trails and we are trying to follow the David Attenborough style of filming. The music for the films is being composed by Shantanu Moitra and Niladri Kumar.���������
Shooting with Big B across Narendra Modi���������s state wasn���������t an easy task. ���������Big B is like a child B when he is shooting with me. At the Rann of Kutch, he had to ride this tricycle. He insisted on riding the tricycle not just during the shoot but also back to the hotel. Finally, I convinced him otherwise because of security concerns. He flew a huge kite that was almost the size of a parachute. He wanted to fly it himself till we told him that it was an impossible task. So, he agreed to play the leader of the gang of some 50 people who flew that kite. But come to think about it, I���������m not too surprised with his actions.���������
In the course of the conversation, Shoojit talks about his experience of shooting for ���������Shoebite��������� with the Big B. ���������He has a jest for life. There was a scene where he had to hang from a bus which was driving at 70 km/hr on a bumpy road. We had a stuntman ready but he insisted that he himself would do the shot. I was scared but he wouldn���������t listen and though it was a long shot, he still went ahead. The next day, I got a call from his Mumbai office saying Jaya di (Jaya Bachchan) had asked why I had allowed him to do the stunt himself,��������� Shoojit says.
Plans are now afoot to shoot films to promote J&K where he had shot ���������Yahan���������. ���������I don���������t have any celebrity in mind while promoting J&K. We will be touring J&K throughout the year and film it. Look at how Sri Lanka promotes tourism by relying only on its beaches and temples. Indian states too should do the same.
For Jharkhand tourism, one should highlight tribals and the connect with nature. It would be great to have Vidya Balan promoting tribal tourism in Jharkhand. As for Odisha, why not the state���������s youth connect? Get a young celebrity on board like Ranbir Kapoor, Imran Khan or Priyanka Chopra and have a film on any one of them as a young backpacker in Odisha. The camera can follow their diary for seven days while they explore the serene and virgin beaches, visit the famous zoo and temples and enjoy the dance forms of the state,��������� he signs off.