Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

Capturing the race against deadline

Thiruvananthapuram: Cinema is a medium that can be used to highlight social problems, but it is not the responsibility of the film maker to offer solutions, said P.Sukumar, director of Swa Le, a film that was recently released in the State.

Addressing a ‘Meet-the-Press’ organised by the Thiruvananthapuram Press Club after a preview of the film, Mr. Sukumar said solutions were best left to the viewer. Citing a Chinese saying, he said, “When you come to the last chapter, close the book.” He added, “The viewer can arrive at a solution based on his perception of the problem.”

Swa Le, he explained, was an effort to portray the life of a journalist, with all its pulls and pressures. “It is as much about life in any other high-pressure job like the IT sector,” he added.

Swa Le’s scriptwriter Kalavoor Ravikumar who was also present, said it was rather strange that a journalist had rarely become the subject of a film in a State “where reading the daily newspaper is considered more important than even breakfast.” Mr.Ravikumar said he had drawn inspiration for the script from his experience as a journalist tracking the last hours of celebrated Malayalam writer Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai.

“As a journalist, I felt it was a thankless job. Life is a constant race against the deadline. Appreciation for good work lasts less than a day.” He, however, said the deadline discipline in the newsroom had helped him keep to the schedule of the film script.

Responding to questions, he said there was no attempt to ridicule journalists or show them in a bad light.

“What I have tried is to employ subtle means to draw attention to the desperation in the life of a journalist. The viewer can read between the lines.”

Mr.Sukumar said the film had used satire and black humour to drive home the message. Producer Madhu Warrier who was also present said the film was the result of team work by three good friends.

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