New Delhi: The directors of feature films in Indian Panorama – ‘Sudani From Nigeria’, ‘To Let’ and ‘Abyakto’ addressed a press conference at the 49th International Film Festival of India here in Panaji today. Chezhiyan Ra, Director, ‘To Let’ said his personal experience while searching for a house in Chennai led to the making of this film. “Shifting of house seems to look like a small matter. But in real life there are so many emotional strings attached with the house we live. The film tries to portray all those emotions, quarrels and trauma associated with the searching of house within a deadline of 30 days”, the director said.
Replying to a question, Chezhiyan said that the experience of working as a cinematographer along with great Tamil directors helped him a lot while creating a feature film. He further added that as a cinematographer, he experienced and experimented with the process of converting text into images.
Sharing his experiences on filmmaking, Zakariya, Director of ‘Sudani from Nigeria’ said the story is about the bonding that ensues after a Sudanese player gets injured during a Sevens tournament in Kerala. Started initially as an independent project funded by friends, the team was fortunate to get two prominent producers from Malayalam film industry. The film, made on a low budget, was released in 128 theatres and successfully ran for more than 100 days, making it a box office success, he added.
On his transition from a short film to a feature film maker, Shri Arjun Dutta, Director of ‘Abyakto’, said that it was the most enriching experience of his life. “Though the canvas of feature film is larger, the basic things remain the same. The home work and pre-production should be very strong. We need to be honest towards any film we make, be it the short film or the feature film. The approach towards both should be the same”, the Director elaborated.
Backgrounder
SUDANI FROM NIGERIA
Majid, a typical football lover from Malappuram in Kerala, works as a recruitment agent of foreign players for local tournaments. When Samuel, a Nigerian footballer hired by him, suffers a severe back injury and is advised two months bed rest, Majid is obliged to take him home. Ecstatic to host a foreign footballer, Majid’s relatives and neighbourhood shower their love on Samuel. But soon the beautiful friendship is disrupted by the state officials in the name of law.
TO LET
To Let is a story of a couple with a child living in a rented house in Chennai. It takes place in 2007 when the metro city was experiencing a real-estate boom as a result of an exponential development of the IT sector. A little too greedy for a higher rent, the land owner asks the couple to vacate their house. They have only thirty days to find new accommodation with their modest middle-class income. On their moped, the couple starts a race against time and all kinds of prejudice to get a house.
ABYAKTO
Abyakto is a poignant tale of a mother and her son, Indra. The film captures a series of unexplained and unusual events which turn Indra into a man he never thought he would become. These events unfold through the film’s three most integral characters: Indra’s mother, Indra’s father, and his favourite uncle Rudra. The film travels through various time lapses and captures the stirring and inexplicable situations and the intricacies and complexities of various relationships.
