Filmmaker Shekhar Kapur doesn’t need cars to prove ‘self-esteem’

Mumbai, June 4

Acclaimed filmmaker Shekhar Kapur finds it silly to own a car in Mumbai and says he does not need them to prove his self-esteem.

A Twitter user wrote to Kapur: “I derive a strange comfort to know that celebs like you still use a rickshaw.”

To which the filmmaker replied: “I don’t own a car. It’s silly to own a car in Mumbai. It takes 600,000 litres to make an average size car. Shouldn’t we use that water to grow food instead?”

A social media troll then questioned him about him not having a car and said that “Bollywood celebrities have 20 plus imported cars”.

Kapur, who has made films like ‘Bandit Queen’, ‘Masoom’ and ‘Mr India’, replied: “I don’t need to own 20 imported cars to prove my self esteem.”

Another user asked him if he used rickshaws.

Kapur said: “I don’t own a car. So often will use ricks.”

Kapur gained international recognition with ‘Bandit Queen’, based on the infamous Indian bandit and politician Phoolan Devi, which won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi. It was premiered in the Directors Fortnight section of the 1994 Cannes Film Festival and was also screened at the Edinburgh Film Festival.

In international cinema, his historical biopics on Queen Elizabeth, ‘Elizabeth’ and ‘Elizabeth: The Golden Age’, won the BAFTA Award for Best Film and two Academy Awards. IANS