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A touch of class
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`In the Name of the Buddha', Rajesh Touvhriver's debut film, received an award at the Newport Beach Festival, California. This film-maker believes that commercial formular should be done away with to make cinema a medium for social change..
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IT IS ironical that his directorial debut venture has run into a controversy in Sri Lanka where the story is set. Rajesh Touchriver's `In the Name of The Buddha' continues to win awards and appreciation in the international fora. Rajesh has written and directed the film, which stands out on account of its spectacular and haunting images of the ethnic strife in Sri Lanka.
Rajesh Touchriver's journey in the tinsel world began when he became an art director for Telugu films. Rajesh's impressive credentials span the small screen and the theatre as well. He shifted his base from Hyderabad to Britain (Surrey)a few years back. Now he spends about half the year there. His next project is indeed an ambitious one - about Vatsyayana, who is synonymous with the treatise, Kamasutra.
"In the name of the Buddha was screened as the inaugural film at the Beverley Hills International Festival, in Los Angeles. In fact the director called me and told me he liked it," says Touchriver, who is spending a few weeks in India to research on his next venture, Vatsyayana.
The idea of `In the Name of the Buddha' took shape when Touchriver met Sai George and K. Shanmughanthas, who wanted to make a movie with a difference in London. The human rights violation in Sri Lanka seemed ideal for a film with social relevance. "One can't break the formula in a commercial film. A balance has to be struck between commercial cinema and art. This subject provided me with the opportunity. When I met the duo, I realised their wavelength matched mine. So I agreed to do the film," says Touchriver, who shot the film in London, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
Hailing from Idukki (Touchriver is the translation of Thodupuzha), Rajesh landed as an art director in Telugu films. "When I was in the National School of Drama, I used to watch the Telugu films dubbed in Tamil and was fascinated by the sets and design. Later, I came to Hyderabad and got a chance to do so. I am interested in design and I believe direction itself is design," says this director, who is trained in Kathakali and Kalaripayattu. Some of Touchriver's work can be seen in `Student No.1', `Kauravudu', `Manasanta Nuvve', `Nuvvuleka Nenu Lenu'.
Touchriver feels "art direction and cinematography are the right and left hands of the director and a proper understanding of these arts is absolutely essential."
Does the revival of `period' cinema offer more scope for art direction?
"Yes. Creating the sets for period films is challenging."
Some commercial films are not doing well and there seems to be a dearth of themes.
"That is because the directors are not ready to break the formula. People are picking up from different themes and weaving stories after a hero instead of finding a story and then deciding on the cast. And the presentation is not much different," he says.
Is cinema a medium for social change?
"Yes it is a powerful medium. If the presentation is new then a film is likely to succeed. One does not need big heroes to deliver hits."
In fact, Touchriver, who pursued a course in Visual Language and Synography in Britain, wanted to direct before he became an art director.
He feels one can make good films with the money spent on shooting abroad.
In `Vatsyayana', Touchriver's screenplay revolves around the sage who wrote the `Kamasutra' - a kind of lifesketch as to what provoked him to do so and the reason for a sanyasi to write such a treatise.
He is certainly not into the masala genre of presentation. Touchriver's art assignments include a film for Chiranjeevi.
At present, Touchriver is associated with British productions. When he is in Surrey, Touchriver conducts classes on direction at the University of Surrey.
RADHIKA RAJAMANI
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