VM: Bro, was that you I saw at Casino to watch Clash ? Weren’t you supposed to be at work then?
SR: Hahaha! I was, technically, working only. I can ask you the same question...
VM: It’s Chennai International Film Festival. Sportspersons have the Olympics, film reporters have film fests and Rajini films.
SR:This week is a mad scramble — hopping from theatre to theatre to watch films that I’ve been wanting to. Clash was awesome? For a film shot entirely inside a truck, that’s as real as it gets…
VM: Exactly. I’m trying to get the film’s DVD. Next time I hear a director blame a film’s low budget for its failure, I’ll show him Clash . I wish more directors and producers go watch some of the gems being screened at CIFF this year.
SR: They should. Instead of being stuck in the routine song-and-dance and fight sequences of commercial cinema. So tell me, which films are you catching this time?
VM: I’ve been trying to catch at least two shows a day. Sunday, though, will be jam-packed as I’m trying to squeeze in The Golden Era, Graduation, Bang Gang or the première of Rubaai .
SR: A friend had recommended watching the Polish film Ashes and Diamonds , but I think they’ve already played it. I wish there was a Majid Majidi film in the list—I became a huge fan of the Iranian director after watching Children of Heaven . There are a few interesting Indian films as well; Priyadarshan’s Sila Samayangalil sounds interesting. Are you up for it?
VM: Sure! After Kanchivaram , I’m dying to see him do an offbeat film. Plus, if you're in the mood for Majidi, you can catch The Salesman by Asghar Farhadi, who has also directed the Oscar winner , A Separation.
SR: Super. I look forward to not just the films, but also the bonding with fellow film-goers. You strike up conversations with strangers and end up watching films they recommend. Da , what’s the film festival scene back in Kerala?
VM: Hmmmm... I have to admit the festival is a bigger deal in Thiruvananthapuram. It’s amazing how it has become an integral part of the city. We’re only getting there. Perhaps in a few more years.
SR: I’m waiting for the time December/January becomes synonymous with the Fest. Like Margazhi when it comes to music. That would be cool no?
VM: Just imagine, in addition to Margazhi and the Chennai Open, we also have a truly international film festival during the period. Why just pattu sarees, why not a few cotton kurtas and jholas as well?
SR: Why the stereotype bro? But I get what you’re saying. Film festivals, as a culture, need everybody. There are quite a number of Tamil films too, ones I’ve seen and you haven’t! If you utilise your weekend properly, you might just beat me.
VM: I’ll wait for the Tamil ones to release here. Want to use this time to watch films I won’t be able to otherwise. An interesting thing happened to me at yesterday’s show. We were waiting for the show to start and they told us that they’re changing the film at the last minute. In the five minutes before it started, I could see a lot of people reading out the synopsis of the new film. Others were sharing the schedule with the rest... so much interest and patience. Wish all film screenings were like that. Such a welcome change compared to the guys walking in late for a movie or those who constantly talk during a show.
SR: That’s called cinema etiquette. I insist on being on time for movies—my wife and I constantly argue because of that. Imagine missing the first scene of a film like Alaipayuthey— you won’t get the reference at the end if you miss that.
VM: Good example. Such festivals go a long way in creating that habit in people. You learn to be around those who take cinema very seriously. I remember sitting behind a guy who was selling his bike over the phone, negotiating and everything. I remember the amount too. Ruined a nice comedy film for me. BTW, what was your first world cinema experience?
SR: Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai . Remember watching it in awe back in college. What’s yours?
VM: I think it was Run Lola Run for me in school. But it was my three years in Pune, attending the Pune International Film Festival, that changed my life. It was also around the same time that I discovered Tamil cinema. So it was Bergman in the evenings and Bhagyaraj in the day.
SR: Haha, so which of the two did you enjoy more?
VM: I live in Chennai now and have to see your face on a daily basis. So take a wild guess.
