John Madden

By Sugandha Rawal

India’s vibrancy, rich culture and chaos of urban life turned out to be magnets for John Madden, who has shot two of his films –“The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel” and its sequel — in the country. The English director says every frame in the nation is worth capturing.

His film’s sequel, “The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel”, is being released by Fox Star Studios in India on Friday. The movie has more things Indian than its locations — there are actors like Lillete Dubey, Tina Desai and British actor of Indian descent Dev Patel.

Madden sat down to talk about his fascination with India during a tete-a-tete  here.

“It is so different culturally. It is colours that define Rajasthan, but it also has an energy which is so powerful,” he said.

Both his films are extensively shot in Jaipur and Udaipur.

“The films are more about chaos of urban life in Rajasthan and I was very affected by that. My point is that you can point your camera on anything, and you will find something interesting (in India),” added the 65-year-old, who was here to promote his movie.

The director, whose film “Shakespeare in Love” won an Academy Award, has captured the essence of daily life in India – with its cycle rickshaws, bargaining in flea markets and more.

When Madden came to India for his new film, he says it strengthened his bond with the country.

“I understood it better. I felt a stronger sense of identity with India. The country is stimulating, vibrant and astonishing to the greyer tones to the British life or western lifestyle,” said the filmmaker.

The impact reflects in his movies.

His 2012 movie revolved around life of a bunch of Britons who come to India to find a new meaning to their life post-retirement, and how they end up in a hotel in Rajasthan; while the second one in the franchise narrates their journey after they decide to stay back.

Madden says the sequel is about “simulation” with “more Indian perspective”.

“If you say that the first film was about a group of people, who have never been to India, and cultural collision, so the second is about simulation. These people make a colossal choice to stay in India.

“Their life in India carry certain implications and that is what the second one is about. I think it is also fair to say that the emphasis of the film is more on Indian perspective,” he said.

The film is high on talent with an ensemble of actors like Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, Bill Nighy and Richard Gere, apart from the talented Indian cast members.

Asked how this experienced cast impacted his job as a director, he joked: “Well, you don’t have to teach anybody how to act.”

On a serious note, he said: “Their experience made it easy for me in one way, but in another way it was a challenge. The film is not about any single one of them, but about all of them.”

With most characters being aged in the movie, Madden has used “gallows humour” to help audiences embrace the truth of life.

“I think in both films, humour comes out as an acknowledgment of mortality. One thing Britishers are good at is gallows humour. I think all the people in the film are aware of how old they are and their way of dealing with it is to make jokes about it,” said Madden, who has also made films like “The Debt” and “Proof”.