Vivek Agnihotri: I learnt from Shekhar Kapoor to never compromise

Vivek Ranjan Agnihtori took to social media on Saturday to share a long note on director Shekhar Kapoor and said that he learnt from him to never compromise. Shekhar is known for making films like Masoom (1983), Mr. India (1987) and Bandit Queen (1994). Vivek shared a video which is an interaction between filmmakers Imtiaz Ali and Mani Ratnam and reflected about how some directors never attended film school.

Speaking about the same, he wrote, “Some of the best directors never attended film school or worked as assistants. Coming from a background in advertising in Delhi, I had no idea whether to say "lights, camera, action" first. And my ego didn’t allow me to ask the seasoned crew. This would have exposed me.”

He added that Shekhar Kapoor was also shooting on the ground floor of that building with Aamir Khan and Vivek sneaked on his set to observe. He wrote, “To my disappointment, Shekhar was so softly spoken that I could hardly hear his commands.  Nevertheless, I learned a valuable lesson from the silent Shekhar: never to compromise.”

He called filmmaking a collaborative effort and added, “Many directors refuse to compromise but lack patience, putting everyone under stress. From Shekhar, I learned that to achieve high standards, you must give your team love, respect, and time.”

Vivek’s last directorial venture was The Vaccine War and he recently announced his next titled Parva. It will be based on a book named Parva that is written by S. L. Bhyrappa in Kannada. It is a retelling of the Sanskrit epic Mahabharata narrated through the personal reflections of the principal characters.