India, Dec. 12 -- In The Mastermind, Kelly Reichardt takes a spin on the heist film that Hollywood has capitalised on for years. In her sensible, politically astute lens, it becomes a meditation on the privileges of a middle-class man from a Massachusetts suburb. Working with actor Josh O'Connor, the filmmaker quietly observes and allows the truth to trickle down through the gaps. Ahead of the film's premiere in Mubi India, HT caught up with the filmmaker for an exclusive chat.

The film's denouement really comes as a surprise, but Kelly would rather not elaborate on it further. "I can say about the writing process, that it goes for so long and it is really hard to remember what the steps were. But I saw a film, and I am not speaking in t...