With the buzz for the film taking over the press, Mohanan had to fend off a couple of interviews and reschedule appointments in order to meet, but laughs off ideas of importance. "Bollywood's all about the stars," he grins. "Since when do technicians matter?"
He admits that at least Southern cinema treats its film faculty better. "You know writers, cameramen, editors. Here, they are non-entities. When was the last time a writer got the credit for a superhit film? It's all about The Star." Not that this is a man looking for credit. A soft-spoken man with a rockstar mane of hair and a shaggy beard, Mohanan has never aimed for the mainstream.
A graduate from the Film and Television Institute of India, and was always in love with cinema. "But I'm not cut out for commercial cinema," he insists. He gulped down cinema made by the masters, and the influence seems clear: unlike most who see the line blurring, he clearly differentiates between commercial and art cinema -- his choice definitely the latter. "I'm a romantic," he grins sheepishly.