Oscar-winning filmmaker Christopher Nolan arrived in Mumbai over the weekend for the first-ever India premiere of one of his films, The Odyssey. The director behind The Dark Knight trilogy (2005–2012), Inception (2010), Interstellar (2014), Dunkirk (2017) and Oppenheimer (2023) remains one of the few filmmakers whose name alone can turn a movie into a global cinematic event. Known for pairing ambitious storytelling with immersive big-screen spectacle, Nolan spoke exclusively to HT City during his visit about The Odyssey, audience interpretations and the enduring appeal of cinema. Excerpts:
Your films continue to spark debate and multiple interpretations years after their release. Has any interpretation ever surprised you?
(Laughs) The fun thing is that if you leave room for interpretation, you engage the audience more. It is also important that I don’t judge those interpretations. I accept the idea that I’m putting things out there for people to make their own. With The Odyssey, it is no different. I make films for the cinema audience. Thousands of people have worked on the film, but it isn’t finished until it goes out to the audience and they tell me what they think.
What was it like to see Interstellar find a new audience in India after its re release?
It’s interesting to see how things emerge in culture, when a film first releases and then over time. With Interstellar, which was re released in India not so long ago, it has been very interesting to see the film emerge in terms of it’s relationship with the audience. That’s pretty satisfying as a filmmaker.
Coming to The Odyessy every generation seems to perceive and view it differently. What do you hope the audience takes away from your version?
First and foremost entertainment. We shot the film in IMAX it’s a great adventure story. I want to take the audience on a wild ride on a boat with Odysseus (played by Matt Damon) to drag them into Cyclops’s cave. I just want them to experience the events of this great story.
With such a large ensemble cast, what was the casting process like and how did you ensure every actor gets their moments to shine?
First, going to Matt and saying lets do this together. He’s an incredible actor who I worked with twice but not as the lead. I needed somebody who could embody all of Odysseus’s heroic qualities but also his flaws and complexities. It’s also a coming-of-age story, so casting Tom Holland as his son, an actor I wanted to work with but haven’t had the opportunity. There’s the relationship with his mother played by Anne Hathaway who I’ve also worked with couple of times, who is beset by suitors led by Robert Pattinson, who I worked with here in Mumbai. It’s a great team of performers with great intelligence and skill.
You’ve said Indian audiences celebrate cinema. Any interesting visuals you observed this visit?
It was fun to be at the fan screening of The Odyssey in Mumbai, which is one of the first audiences in the world to see the film. Emma (Thomas, producer), Matt (Damon, actor), Tom (Holland, actor) and I came and said hi to the fans at the end. We took a selfie with the audience, and it was remarkable to see hundreds of them with their IMAX camera popcorn buckets.
You, too, are celebrated as one of the most loved international filmmakers in the country…
To have fans in India respond to my work is a great thrill and a huge honour.
This is not your first visit to India. How has your perception of the country evolved over the years?
I love coming here. I’ve had the privilege of working here a couple of times and engaging with local crews. Working in Mumbai, particularly on Tenet, was a wonderful experience.
While driving from the airport, I saw some of the locations and it brought back happy memories. It was really nice to be back, but it was especially meaningful to return to launch and promote a new film. I’ve never had the chance to do that here, though I’ve wanted to for many years. It’s exciting to be premiering a film here in India.