Despite the attention from all and sundry, Resul Pookutty has remained unfazed, quietly doing what he does best, designing, mixing and editing sounds in films in India and abroad. He was also the sound director of Shah Rukh Khan's Ra.One a film which created quite a stir because of its technological brilliance. Discovery Channel will be airing a new series Revealed: The Making of RA.One which will delve into the techniques that was used to make the film. “Working in a film like Ra.One was a rewarding experience. Shah Rukh just handed me the script and let me do my work as the sound man. He trusted my skills,” says Resul assuring that the technology used in the film will define cinema and entertainment in the future. He says that the challenge during the making of the film was to bridge the gap between reality and the virtual world keeping the mainstream audience in mind.
A few years back, the work of the people behind camera went largely unappreciated in the Indian film industry but with Indian movies investing more on technology has increased audience curiosity to learn more about the kind of work that goes into making of a film. “A film like Avatar did not spend a penny in India while making the film but raked millions from the Indian viewers. The Indian film industry which is considered to be one of the biggest should protect itself and be equally competent as far as cinema and technology is concerned. How you hear and see the film has become important,” says the Academy Award winner.
Driven mostly by the script of the film and people associated with it, this sound director says that life has not changed for him but people's perspective has changed about him post the Oscar win. “People in the west are eager to share your joys but in India people tend to put you in a bracket. People suddenly think I have become inaccessible and insecure,” says Resul. However, he is happy with the kind of work he is getting and admits that it has opened a lot of horizons for him as far as mainstream cinema is concerned. Whether it's Hollywood or Hindi or any other regional film, he doesn't like restricting his work to any language or a particular industry.
“People in the West plan their work but in India they are very open so I prefer an amalgamation of both,” he says. A film student from Film and Television Institute of India, Pune, his ultimate dream is to direct a film someday.
Revealed: The Making of RA.One will be aired on March 30, Discovery Channel at 8 p.m.
