Tag: Nayanthara

Putting stories over connections

Unlike most regional cinema, Tamil has mostly been commercially driven. But now a parallel voice is emerging in the state, feels Puducherry-based Samir Sarkar, co-producer of Arun Karthick’s Nasir, which won at Rotterdam in 2020. “Young directors like Arun and Vinoth Raj are pioneers of this new wave of cinema, exploring themes that are gritty and thought provoking. And directors such as Ram, Vetri Maaran and Pa Ranjith are supporting these strong voices. This will not only get these new talents the necessary media exposure, but also help them with theatrical releases and sales.”

Thamizh, whose Seththumaan premièred at the recently-concluded International Film Festival of Kerala, comes from a non-film institute background. When he decided to make a movie based on writer Perumal Murugan’s short story, Varugari (fried meat), it was tough. “I’d managed to gather just ₹8 lakh [of the ₹15 lakh required to shoot] when I decided to meet [filmmaker] Ranjith.”

Thamizh adds, “I knew none but him in the present crop of producers would touch a film like this, which speaks about food politics [and caste],” he says. Ranjith, known for films with strong sociopolitical narratives, backed Seththumaan, and helped Thamizh with suggestions. Today, it is doing the festival rounds. “I was walking with my film. Now with Ranjith on board, I feel a bigger responsibility. So even if I’m tired, I want to run with the film, to justify confidence he had in me,” says Thamizh.

Over the past few years, Ranjith’s Neelam Productions has been backing stories told by voices not often heard before. The 38-year-old, who calls Babasaheb Ambedkar his mentor, says what he offers younger filmmakers is “his duty” and not a service. “When I began nine years ago, I had to moderate what I wanted to say because producers were hesitant. I could not make the films I wanted to,” he tells me. “Now that I have made a space for myself in Indian cinema, in Tamil cinema, I thought I should help others like me do what they want to do, with confidence.”

Banking on teamwork

For many mentors, fostering young new talent is a kind of course correction. “When I began my career, we did not have the liberty to listen in on discussions. We were supposed to just do what we were told,” says Kannada actor-director Rishab Shetty, who is mentoring young voices. “Cinema is teamwork, and we travel together while making a film. There should be no egos.”

Ranjith looks at it as encouraging change — when new stories and new ways of looking at them are given a push, change will take place. “There’s no model. The success of Pariyerum Perumal [Mari Selvaraj’s 2018 debut which dealt with caste discrimination] gave me the confidence that these subjects will also work commercially. While Pariyerum had some commercial elements, Seththumaan is pure cinema,” says Ranjith, who also backed last month’s psychological thriller Kuthiraivaal, starring Kalaiyarasan, and co-directed by newcomers Manoj Leonel Jahson and Shyam Sunder.

But in the end, it is about lending a hand. Award-winning Kannada writer-director Hemanth M Rao — who made 2019’s neo-noir thriller, Kavaludaari — believes filmmaking is a solitary journey. And that mentoring is a “combination of paying it forward and wanting to be that person who didn’t exist in my journey.” “When I come across young filmmakers facing problems similar to what I experienced, I give them my perspective in the hope that it helps them overcome any barriers. These could be self-built barriers — of what works or doesn’t work — that add layers of crippling pressure to those starting out. Half the battle is undoing that, and I help in that process,” concludes Hemanth, who has produced indie filmmaker Manu Anuram’s short film.

With inputs from Sangeetha Devi Dundoo and Surya Praphulla Kumar

Bucking tradition

Even when ‘traditional mentoring’ comes into play, things are different today. For one, both the mentor and the mentee are on equal footing. When Rishab recently helped his former associate director, Bharath Raj, with his debut film Hero — an action-thriller that released last week and is doing well at the box office — he didn’t impose his views on the newbie. “To be around such people is great because if you have the talent, they don’t ask for experience. They identify it, nurture it, and let you be,” says Bharath, who had assisted on the sets of Rishab’s 2018 film with the rather long name, Sarkari Hi. Pra. Shale, Kasaragodu, Koduge: Ramanna Rai, which went on to win a National Award for Best Children’s Film.

Mentors are now open to filmmakers who trust their gut. In Telugu, the two films that’ve set cash registers ringing this year are directed by first-timers: Buchi Babu Sana’s Uppena and Vijay Kanakamedala’s Naandhi. The former showcases the lives of the fishing community in Kothapalli, while the latter is a courtroom drama.

Vijay Kanakamedala had honed his filmmaking skills assisting director Harish Shankar for nearly eight years. But when he decided to strike out on his own, he surprised the latter (who is known for his mainstream masala-laden hits) by choosing a slightly offbeat story — tracing the journey of an ordinary man framed on false charges. “Harish always wanted me to do something mainstream, but my approach had to be different for a story like Naandhi,” says Vijay, sharing that his mentor taught him to work with a budget, finish filming on schedule and to ensure it is viable for a producer.

Meanwhile, Buchi Babu had assisted noted director Sukumar, who is known for his complex, layered storytelling, for 12 years. When he narrated Uppena to Sukumar in 2018, the latter was impressed and helped him meet the actors he wanted, particularly Chiranjeevi’s nephew Panja Vaishnav Tej, and Vijay Sethupathi. “He was a pillar of support and encouraged me during the making of Uppena, but never once interfered in my work,” he says.

International Film Festival Rotterdam