Managing in chaos
Shooting a movie on the streets of Mumbai is the ultimate test for a director. It requires patience, aplomb and an innate ability to deal with random incidents of chaos—all of which Danny Boyle apparently carried out, unruffled and as cool as cucumber.
Shooting a movie on the streets of Mumbai is the ultimate test for a director. It requires patience, aplomb and an innate ability to deal with random incidents of chaos—all of which Danny Boyle apparently carried out, unruffled and as cool as cucumber. Since then, Boyle has hit box office gold. Plus, Slumdog Millionaire—the name of his Mumbai saga—was adjudged Best Film (Boyle also won Best Director) at the Golden Globes.
Winning the Golden Globes doesn’t come easy for any director. And when one makes a relatively low budget (Rs 15 crore) film, which critics expect to fail at the box office, but ends up sweeping the awards— it exemplifies among other things— the leadership qualities of the director. It is not the first time that these qualities of Boyle were visible during the making of Slumdog. Those who’ve watched this Englishman’s earlier films such as Trainspotting, The Beach, 28 Days Later or Sunshine, will find elements from these films in Slumdog Millionaire as well, be it in terms of editing, use of music or the ability to elicit brilliant performances from his actors.
Says Anil Kapoor, one of the stars of Slumdog Millionaire: “One of the signs of great leadership is when a leader never makes you feel as if he is imposing his will on you. Danny dealt with a cast and crew from different nationalities, ages and backgrounds with great ease and subtleness.” Kapoor adds that Boyle knew how to get the best out of his team effortlessly. “He didn’t try to demand respect and he didn’t need to. He got it from us right away. He treated one and all on the sets equally. Be it a small technician or a big star. He would actually applaud if someone did a good job,” the Bollywood star says.
Kapoor feels Boyle’s best leadership qualities lay in the fact that he is humble and down to earth. “A crew member who has worked with him previously told me Boyle seldom loses his temper or shouts at his crew,” he reveals. Dealing with chaos to create something big demands a lot from managers. Boyle’s ability to get the best out of each member of his team is a trait corporate leaders can benefit a lot from, especially in the present times.
—Anusha Subramanian
 Age: 52 Designation: Director, Slumdog Millionaire |
Says Anil Kapoor, one of the stars of Slumdog Millionaire: “One of the signs of great leadership is when a leader never makes you feel as if he is imposing his will on you. Danny dealt with a cast and crew from different nationalities, ages and backgrounds with great ease and subtleness.” Kapoor adds that Boyle knew how to get the best out of his team effortlessly. “He didn’t try to demand respect and he didn’t need to. He got it from us right away. He treated one and all on the sets equally. Be it a small technician or a big star. He would actually applaud if someone did a good job,” the Bollywood star says.
Kapoor feels Boyle’s best leadership qualities lay in the fact that he is humble and down to earth. “A crew member who has worked with him previously told me Boyle seldom loses his temper or shouts at his crew,” he reveals. Dealing with chaos to create something big demands a lot from managers. Boyle’s ability to get the best out of each member of his team is a trait corporate leaders can benefit a lot from, especially in the present times.
—Anusha Subramanian
