You are dying to tell the world a story that is taking shape in your mind You are itching to unleash this wicked response you have to something going on around you.
You want other people around you to experience that which you are feeling strongly about right now. What do you do? In all probability, you are making a film.
Kannada film industry’s indie-posterboy director Pawan Kumar believes that film is the most natural response to something. “Technology has made it easy to shoot. It is also the most impactful medium,” he says. He should know — his Kannada feature film U-Turn set on the infamous Double Road flyover got those in power to take action and solve the problem permanently. So, recently when most of Bengaluru united against the construction of a steel flyover in the city, Pawan made a short film. “As a filmmaker I felt why not make a film to get people to subscribe to this idea? Then I put it up on social media to reach out to a larger community and get them involved. At a time when people don’t have time to read, very subconsciously film becomes a choice.”
He invited people, through the “ Bengaluru Steel Flyover Yake Beda ” (why you don’t want the flyover) short film competition, to make their own. “We got 380 entries — from students, working professionals, homemakers. They had a 10-day period to make a one-minute film from scratch. It was fascinating to see that in today’s world so many people know how to do it!” says Pawan. A selection of 75 of these films were screened recently.
For Kanika Batra, a city-based entrepreneur and actor, who is a qualified lawyer, launching Project Papa- The Film stemmed from a very personal realisation, and a need to “live in the now”.
“I decided that I wanted to spend more time with my father. He was getting older, I realised, and I abandoned all logic, as I believed that there was no better way of doing this, than making a movie with him, and also making his dream of acting in a film, a reality, at 60 plus years.”
The film is in its last stage of post-production now. A film is a beautiful amalgamation of different creative arts - writing, direction, music, story telling, points out Kanika. “I haven’t been to film school, and neither have I assisted on any film projects, but I do believe I can tell a good story. Project Papa is my creative release from my manic lifestyle. I feel I am ready to share something with the world. But mostly, it is my plan to spend more time with my Papa and create a memory that will last forever.”
A film is also the easiest way for a story to be told and heard a million times over, without the story teller having to be present, she points out. A socio-political satire is not an easy film to make and that is what director Saad Khan and city’s popular RJ-comedian Danish Sait are confident of pulling off in their Kanglish film Humble Politician Nograj . When local politician and Bengaluru’s infrastructure mess come together as a subject, it is cult comedy in the making believes Saad. They’ve got on board Pushkar Films and co-producers Lost & Found Films (who made the successful Godhi Banna Sadharana Mykattu recently). “We are taking a dig at all that is wrong with the city,” says Saad. “The commentary is on the urban Bengalurean to wake up and do something; to vote after knowing your candidate. Most people don’t know who their corporator is.” Danish, who plays Nograj, says he was inspired by all the yes men and secretaries who came to see his famous politician grandfather.
“I would say Nograj is the average manipulative politician who makes news for all the wrong reasons. One who is bothered more about his piggy bank than his citizens. He will be countered with the voice of reason,” he concludes. The film is being cast now and will be released by August 2017.
Independent filmmaker Shajan Samuel can be dubbed a “serial filmmaker.” He has made two documentaries and one short in quick succession. His subjects range from Bengaluru’s traffic cops ( The Resilient Bangalore Traffic Cop ) to the story of a school dropout who gets an entrepreneur to sponsor his education ( ABC ). “I make films to highlight a social cause, anything that tugs at my heart, and draw people’s attention to something in a world where we have all become self-obsessed,” says Shajan. The underpinning theme of his films points to the larger purpose of our life; to transform things and help lift up others not so privileged. “Cinema has a binding force to create communities and channelise energies.”
It is to bring about this sense of community that Shailaja Padindala started the “Simply Shoot Maadona” (let’s just shoot)community on Facebook. An art graduate from Karnataka Chitrakala Prishath, and a school art teacher, she went to the L.V. Prasad Film & TV Academy to study cinematography, only to drop out when she felt she wasn’t learning anything. Then she says she un-learnt what was taught there as she worked and assisted on field. “I figured I had forgotten how to imagine,” she says. Her first short Memories of a Machine dealt with sexuality - a subject that has stayed with her from her art and teaching days. No producer came forward, and the film, which is now creating small ripples at international film festivals, was something she produced with her savings. SSM has now brought together a writer, a microbiologist, a techie, a telecom employee and others to help her make her second film -- a full-length Kannada feature. “I want people who are mad about films, who share my ideology, who may not know how to make films to work with. I am attempting guerilla style filmmaking. My crew works out of my house; I’ve let strangers into my home after they connected with me over my first film!”
