Jeeten Dutt Sinha, more popularly known as Jay, happens to be the son of Bollywood’s most popular veteran actor Vishal Dutt aka Rajkumar Sinha. Incidentally speaking Jeeten is a multifaceted persona in his own right having achieved a finesse in the handling of his own varied portfolio’s like Construction & Minining (Chairman of Supreme Group of Companies), Fashion & Films (Platinum Pictures Pvt Ltd & S. Cube Entertainment). In fact he has achieved the distinction of being a film financier for almost a decade. And now Jeeten has added one more feather in his illustrious cap adorned with crowning glories galore by turning over a new leaf of donning a producer’s hat with the production of a short film named Launda Naach, which has already garnered a lot of critical acclaim & awards galore in the Global Film Festival circuit. Shaheen Raaj recently caught up with Jeeten, a philanthropist at heart, unassuming, down to earth & a very practical guy, in his office at Lady London Building in Andheri. Tune in.
What has been your main as a Chairman of Supreme Group of Companies?
Frankly speaking over the years my main aim has been to run a successful business enterprise and I have successfully achieved that feat without even an iota of doubt. But having done this I also wanted to be of some help to the society and my vast real estate experience has enabled me to create an impactful developments which also includes Low Income Housing Projects all over India. That apart I also try to create equal opportunity upon unequal grounds and raise the standards every time.
You have also been known as a philanthropist in the real sense of the term. Comment!
I am very grateful to everyone for having such a high opinion about me and I humbly accept their gratitude for honoring me with such kind words. Yes indeed I am associated with several NGO’s for underprivileged and other such organizations for mentally challenged & physically handicapped which are found worldwide. And I am leaving no stone unturned to help & support them to the best of my ability & capability.
Having grown up in a Bollywoodian environment how come you never thought of donning the grease paint & facing the arc lights?
Yes I consider myself lucky enough to have been brought up in such an environment. But I never considered myself or never even thought of being creatively involved. I think I was more imbibed with business acumen since as far as I can remember. But I did think of getting involved in the Bollywoodian affair in some way or the other. Hence since last one decade I have been quietly financing a lot Bollyood movies.
And now after donning the mantle of a producer how come you thought of making a short film, based on a sensitive topic, and not a full fledged feature film?
Since this was my 1st attempt at producing a film I purposely decided to start a small project, no not a small budget feature film but a short film to gain more knowledge & experience of film making and then gradually move on to making more of message oriented meaningful films based in the range of small budget. And of course my further stop over destination would be big budget movie but once again I would like to stress on the fact that I will go on producing films more of message oriented meaningful films then be it a small budget, big budget or a short film like my current & highly raved about film Launda Naach.
Ok time to enlighten us about your current short film titled Launda Naach?
Actually speaking Launda Naach is a film steeped in an art form. Where men dress up as a women and dance to entertain at social functions & festivals. Well nothing wrong in that you would say as such practice is prevalent since time immorial. What is more surprising is that what was once a folk art has now become a degrading line of work wherein rich men now hire these Launda’s (male dancers) to dance for their own perverse pleasures. Such events now end up in sexual abuse to be more precise the rape of these Laundas.
Could you narrate the actual story of Landa Nach in brief?
One such Launda named Bhuvan is also a popular dancer. But he is also a husband and a father to a 9 year old boy named Ghungroo. Bhuvan hides his ugly truth from his son in order to protect his image, but this in itself leads to his son’s growing fascination with becoming such a Launda himself. Fearing that soon his son may discover his truth for worse and suffer like him, Bhuvan decides to retire from dancing, but not before performing one last gig in a nearby village. A gig that he reluctantly agrees to, tempted only by the money he desperately needs for his pregnant wife. On the day of the gig, Bhuvan’s wife delivers a baby boy and Ghungroo uses the good news as an excuse to run to his father and see him perform. As he joyfully runs to the village where his father is, little did he know that his entry fee to his father’s world is more than what he had bargained for.
Landa Naach it seems has garnered a lot of critical acclaim & awards galore in the global film festival circuit. Can you throw some more light on it.
We at Platinum Pictures Pvt Ltd have been working predominantly even to the extent of burning our mid – night oil to get it circulated in the global film festival circuit and the critical appreciation & awards journey first started when we got the news that Launda Naach was officially selected for premiere screening in The Other Venice Film Festival, California (OVFF) in its 13th Edition. And then on 9th Oct, 2016 OVFF bestowed us with “Best International Short Film” award. Then came the official news of selection for Human District Festival in Serbia. The next stopover destination was when Melbourne Independent Filmmakers Festival (MIFF) officially selected Launda Naach for official screening. The MIFF then nominated Launda Naach under 2 categories “Best Dramatic Short Film” & “Best Cinematography”. We even tried the official screening slot in the forthcoming International Film Festival of India (IFFI Goa) but we were late so better luck to us for next year.
Such a sensitive subject has been directed by a woman director. How come?
Why not? I feel that as a woman director Shafaq Khan was not at all biased towards such a sensitive subject. In fact her directorial treatment speaks a lot about her finesse in her directorial treatment. She has done full justice to the sensitive subject at hand without in anyway taking refuge in eroticism or titillation. She has not only worked with many big production houses but has also dabbled with making of many musical videos. And as a feature film director she already has 2 films to her credit namely Desi Romeos & Prince Of Punjab. And with Launda Naach she has also forayed into the Short Films arena.
Do you have any directorial ambition? If yes when will you make your directorial debut?
I will certainly wield the megaphone to ultimately make my directorial debut but not so soon. Let me gain more experience as a producer and only then will I focus my attention towards direction.
Ok to round it off tell us what is your next agenda on filmmaking?
Right now I am planning to make 3 feature film, all untitled as of now, on Indian Warrior, it will be far more superior than Hollywood movies, the 2nd on is also in the planning stage and my hat trick film will be based on the journalist tribe. It will showcase the real & the true aspects of their profession life. I feel that the journalists tribe is the most underrated & underpaid. Sometimes It is really saddening to note that their’s is a most thankless job which they keep on perfoming day in & day out.
