How did a BITS (Birla Institute of Technology and Science), Pilani graduate like you get into films?
I always wanted to be a writer. But due to parental pressure, I enrolled for an engineering course at BITS Pilani. Later, I worked as a copywriter at a small ad agency in Chennai. Then, I debuted with the Telugu television series, Thenali Ram Krishna in 1986, which I directed and produced. What was the inspiration behind 16 December? 16 December is a mind game thriller. I wanted to make a film that wouldn’t insult the audience — most Hindi films these days insult the intelligence of the audience. The only exception I can think of is Lagaan, which is a brilliant film. I wanted to make a film that has never been made before, in India or abroad. Also, I have a nationalistic bend of mind and have made many films on the subject. In 1996, I directed a music video on the terrorist outfit Hizbul Mujahideen. The song, Gyara gulshan apka, had lyrics by P K Mishra (also the lyricist of 16 December). I had a firsthand glimpse into the minds of terrorists. A lot of the film is centred around Dala