A lecture about a disease or a movie on the same topic — Which of the two would you choose? Many people would prefer the latter, and that’s why Australian-based filmmaker Sanjane decided to shoot a movie on a subject close to his heart – Parkinson’s disease.
The result is The Road Not Taken, a film that hopes to create awareness. Featuring dialogues in English and Tamil, the film also has the song ‘Naan Yen Piranthaen’ composed by A.R. Rahman.
Describing how the movie fell into place, he says, “When I sat down to write the film, I didn't have a particular conflict in mind. I allowed the script to take me there organically.” Cinematographer Ignatius Vivek David and actor Benhur were with him in this pursuit to take the ‘road not taken’.
Showcasing true character, he feels, was one of the biggest motivating factors behind making this film. “I’m a big believer in spreading positive energy at all times, but it is when the chips are down that our true character is revealed,” he says, “It is this aspect of life that I wanted to make a movie on.”
This two-layered 20-minute film shows us as to how the protagonist copes with challenges in front of him, but does not waver from the path of righteousness. “I thought to look at someone whose moral compass hasn’t changed. And along the way, a disease that is to kill him also leads him to discovering his life’s purpose,” he adds.
The film was inspired by the actor Michael J. Fox, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 1991 and created the Michael J. Fox Foundation in 2010. “The film makes one reflect on how people get on with their lives and how they do not fall apart when they know that they have Parkinson’s, and are soon going to be depending on their family for simple everyday tasks,” explains the filmmaker. Watch the film at http://youtu.be/DHJIwsNq67Y
