When I was in class four I watched The NeverEnding Story, a fantasy about a boy who reads a magical book. It was the first fantasy that I watched and it showed me what the possibilities of film making were. Of course, there has been a lot of advancement in technology that is used in films today. But at that time, that film made an impact on me.
So, after working in the IT industry for four years, I started writing scripts and a UK-based company chose one for a Hollywood project. It was a horror film. My script was ‘optioned’ by them. That is when the producer has not actually purchased the right to use the screenplay but has given you a token fee and an option to work and develop it. It is a popular concept in the West, but not here. The film did not come into being even though some well-known Hollywood names were attached to it.
Then I returned and made my short film A Conditional Truce , shot in Sri Lanka. It was well received in the international film festival circuit. My co-producer was from UK and another was a classmate for this film. Soon, I was on my way to make my first feaure film — Alegalu (Waves). I approached the Children’s Film Society and met Nandita Das. The story was approved and I immediately started making the film.
A number of factors made me start with a short film. I was an outsider then and still feel I am one. The idea to make Alegalu or any other film is always there in one’s heart, sometimes for months or years. It just takes time to execute it, that’s all.
While I was working on Gulabi Talkies with Girish Kasaravalli, I saw the various locations and got the idea for Alegalu .
Writing a script is easy. It is a part where you sit in solitude and pen your thoughts. But directing is a different game all together. It involves team work. You have to deal with all sorts of people. As a director, you feel there are days that go smooth and then there are days when you feel like banging your head against a wall.
Today, when I see Alegalu, I see so many mistakes. I don’t mind admitting it. Even when it came to Railway Children I find mistakes. I know the film won awards but as a director I can always see my short comings. When you make a good film you find hundreds of mistakes and if it is a bad film then may be thousands! I decided to make a children’s film first simply because it was easier to fund a children’s cinema. That’s all. It was not made with any idealogical thoughts. But Railway Children was not a children’s film.
And, getting awards does not change anything. I am still not known to many in the industry. Many people may not even be aware that I am here. But, I will continue to make films. There is no question of backing out.
Soon I plan to make a film in Hindi. I have dreams of doing many things. So, one step at a time. The idea is to tell a story effectively and if a message comes across then it is a bonus for me as a film maker. I only see myself as a man just making films from my heart -- probably bigger and better films on the go.
This column chronicles filmakers’ first efforts
As told to Shilpa Sebastian R.
