In an exclusive chat with The Pioneer, we catch up with debut director Maahir Khan, who turns the lens on tattoo artist Eric D’Souza’s transformative journey in the documentary Buzz. Maahir also opens up about Mumbai being more than just a backdrop, the emotional rawness required to tell Eric’s story authentically
Tejal Sinha
Maahir Khan’s documentary Buzz, produced by Anil Kapoor Films and now streaming on JioHotstar, is more than just a tale of ink and artistry. Set in the ever-pulsing lanes of Mumbai, it captures the remarkable life of Eric D’Souza — a man who has transformed pain into purpose and ink into identity. Through a deeply personal and empathetic lens, Maahir explores themes of reinvention, healing and the evolving culture of tattooing in India.
Having known Eric personally for years, he was most drawn to what he calls the “dissonance that lives inside him” — the same dissonance he believes fuels many great artists. “At its core, Buzz is a movie about the artist’s journey. More often than not, the ultimate challenge gifted people have is not with improving their craft — that tends to come naturally — rather, it is to heal their wounds, grow and mature their perspectives. That is principally the transformation I was interested in.”
Tattoos, once considered taboo in India, are now viewed through a new lens — largely thanks to cultural influencers like celebrities and athletes. “We often have a very respect-driven culture for those who have achieved something. Even before the documentary, as an avid tattoo collector, I had noticed that as cricketers and stars got tattoos publicly, it became less of a stigma. Which is a very good thing, because we were very cautious back in the day, and definitely seen as deviant for having tattoos.”
Beyond the body art, Buzz is rich with themes of belonging, identity and resilience — themes that reflect Maahir’s own evolution as a filmmaker. “It really goes back to the idea of artistic dissonance. Artists create because of the deep discomfort within us that forces us to express in order to make the mind quieter. At least in my experience, I find that to be the case more often than not. Eric had that issue and so did I. Coming up in filmmaking, what pushed me to work as hard as I possibly could was to quell the nonstop stream of thought and dialogue in my head. His journey with trying to escape his grief through giving it context in visual art is deeply similar to mine. Our wounds may be different, but our search for sanity through self-expression is the same.”
Integral to the soul of Buzz is the city of Mumbai, which, Maahir admits, became a character in the film almost organically. “Because I am Mumbai, and Mumbai is me. It wasn’t something we were very focused on or particularly intentional about during the shoot. It naturally became inevitable in the editing process that Mumbai was a character. And I think that is because the contradictions of the city mirror a lot of the duality in Eric’s life and also mine. I have little doubt that my subjective complicated relationship with this city drew me to making a film where it integrated into the narrative.”
While one might assume a project like Buzz would be met with skepticism due to lingering stigma around tattoos, Maahir reveals he faced little resistance. “In fact, Anil Kapoor encouraged me to break the mold and try something new. I believe I have been lucky in being surrounded by people like him in the making of the movie who gave me the courage to not consider stigmas and preconceived notions and take a risk. A lot of credit should also particularly be given to the key crew members, who, whether they faced doubt or not, backed me completely and took a huge risk to do an independent movie like this — particularly Sashank, Aditya and Ayan.”
Documentary filmmaking brings its own ethical responsibilities, especially when dealing with real people and their vulnerabilities. He made a conscious choice to prioritise honesty over spectacle. “Values and trust are everything in this process. Once I committed to not obfuscating or manipulating the facts through dodgy editing, I was intent on sticking to that. That decision, in fact, was pivotal to challenging me and Joe, the other editor, in having to create an engaging narrative thread without using misleading connections in the cuts to create drama that didn’t actually happen.”
Opening someone up on camera is a challenge — but for Maahir, the real task was showing up with vulnerability himself. “The hardest thing was to be so openly vulnerable myself that those things would happen naturally. Eric was honest, I believe, because I never masked any of my pain to him.”
That level of intimacy was no accident. Maahir created an atmosphere where Eric could feel safe — not just on camera, but off it too. “I just bore my soul, both on set and privately, carrying it around like an open wound around Eric. And I think that, combined with the fact that our relationship has never been transactional, may have given him the comfort to feel like he could share his truth.”
The mentorship from Anil Kapoor Films also played a key role in shaping Maahir’s first film. “AKFC, particularly Jalal and Anil, played a huge role in mentoring me as an artist making his first film. I checked in with them regularly and they guided me through anxieties and stressors that I had, ensuring that I kept a level, realistic yet enthusiastic attitude throughout the process. Moreover, their trust in me is something I will be forever thankful for.” Among the many surprises along the way, Maahir notes that the bonds formed during production were the most unexpected — and rewarding — part of the journey. “Filmmaking is stressful — it often can cause a lot of discord among those involved. But I feel like we all grew as people and as friends, the degree to which I did not honestly expect and I am so glad I have people like these in my life.”
With Buzz now out in the world, Maahir hopes it leaves a lasting emotional impact. “I hope people realize that they’re not alone — that someone as successful as Eric can go through hell and be okay. That eventually, things can be alright, and you can find some version of peace. And to not give up on yourself — ever.”
But even with Buzz released, the story may not be over. Asked whether this is the full arc of Eric’s journey, Maahir concludes with a quiet promise: “There’s a lot more — and time will tell if it comes to fruition.”
