How does a bad film happen?
A film happens over a long period of time, over decisions taken at various points in time — influenced by factors and circumstances pertaining to that time. Once a filmmaker decides to act upon some preliminary ideas, he/she will quickly become blind as to how it is shaping up — as a parent is blind to the flaws of his/her child.
That’s the reason why a film turns out to be bad in spite of the filmmaker slogging on it for a year or more.
After the film’s release, every Tom, Dick and Harry, in just two hours, will figure out what is wrong with the film — something the filmmaker couldn’t in a year.
But it’s only when Tom or Dick or Harry is given an opportunity to make a film based on their own ideas, that reality emerges. There was a well-known producer in the Telugu film industry who made lots of super-hits with unknown directors. One day, he decided to direct a film himself. Everyone thought he would make a blockbuster but the film was a disaster.
How did that happen? Earlier, he was like the guy standing next to the cook and giving his suggestions on how the dish should shape up. When the dish turned out to be good, he imagined that it was his inputs that helped. But when he became the cook and had to decide how to prepare the dish, the game changed.
In my experience, I find these reasons were the most valid when my films failed: Not thinking systematically before choosing a subject; not realising that better films have been made on the same; not checking whether the original idea is still travelling in the intended direction; being surrounded by people who either lie or are scared to tell the truth.
To the next question you might have — if I realise my mistakes, then why do I keep making them — my answer is, ‘I correct my old mistakes and then make new ones’. No film is like any other, what you learn from the mistakes of one film can never be applied to another.
There will always be bad films, whether from me or any other filmmaker, and you will just have to live with them.