Chat with Raam Reddy, director of Thithi

Join us for a chat with the award-winning filmmaker

February 05, 2016 05:53 pm | Updated May 17, 2016 04:22 pm IST

Raam Reddy, whose award-winning debut Thithi became one of the most sought-after films at the Bengaluru International Film Festival, is one of the Kannada film industry's rising stars today. His debut film became the second Kannada film to win the Locarne award, 43 years after Pattabhirama Reddy's Samskara.

The Hindu is delighted to have this talented young filmmaker join us for a live chat at 5 p.m. on February 6. Here is a transcript of the entire chat:

The Hindu: We have award winning filmmaker Raam Reddy with us today for a chat on his movie Thithi, which won in the Asian Films category at BIFFES, and his experience at the film festival. Welcome, Mr. Reddy.

Guest: Is SIR Raam Reddy Casting Shirley setia in his upcoming movie?

Raam Reddy: Hi, I am not yet sure what my next project is. The idea will have to take root first, and the casting strategy will follow that.

Sanaya: Sir which is your next project? Are you planning to act also ?

Raam Reddy: Hi Sanaya. To be honest, I am a terrible actor so it is probably best for me to stay behind the camera! Regarding my next project, I have ideas that I am excited about but I am yet to decide which to pursue. I like to develop my stories slowly and organically.

Sanaya: What is your suggestion to amateur film makers ? How can one become very successful and earn lots of money and yet make good films. Pls advice

Raam Reddy: I don't think there is a simple answer for achieving all the things that you mentioned! What I would suggest is make lots of short films (cameras are very accessible these days; a film called Tangerine was a full length feature shot on a cellphone!), and while doing that explore the medium of film as thoroughly as possible. Try to make each of those short films different and original. That practice is invaluable at the start of a filmmaking career. I made 12 short films before making Thithi, most of which were zero budget, and it was this practice that made me confident enough to handle my first feature.

Sindhu: where should a person interested in being in the film industry begin? can i take particular courses in college? please let me know. I live in bangalore and I am in a professional college but want to pursue a career in films like you

Raam Reddy: Hi Sindhu. From personal experience, I learnt a lot more from watching various well-regarded films from all over the world than I did from film school. Tarantino has the famous quote, "I didn't go to film school. I went to films." So I would urge you to watch - carefully, like a student who is studying - films from all over the world. Try and find the kinds of films that resonate with you personally. Then deconstruct them. Try to think of what the director was thinking, and why he or she made the film the way they did. This kind of self-education is very important in art, and is the first step to building a better understanding of film language. While doing this, practice by making short films with your friends. This is what I did. There is also another option, which is to assist someone who is established in the field. Personally, however, I prefer the approach of self-learning when it comes to art. And it is your command over your art form that will hold you in good stead as you venture into this world.

Dharini: Where do you look for inspiration usually before making a film?

Raam Reddy: Hi Dharini. For me inspiration tends to come organically; I don't usually actively look for it. Another thing for me is, I don't usually start with a story. For example, my starting point for Thithi was with the location: I decided I wanted to make a film in a particular place. I then explored the place with my writer Eregowda, and the story happened organically out of that exploration. Similarly, my short film Ika (Feather) started with a philosophical concept, not a story. My other short film Jaro (Spring) was initially inspired by the mood I felt when reading a very short story by Franz Kafka (but not the story itself!). One thing I feel personally, is when I actively look for ideas, those ideas don't end up being as good as the ones that happen organically. Having said that, the most important thing for an artist is to have an open mind and a open heart. Only when I open these doors, do I find that ideas flow in.

Sujoy: There is a perception that Thithi has a documentary feel to it. Would you call it that?

Raam Reddy: Hi Sujoy. In Thithi, we tried to create a balance between realism and the creation of a particular cinematic world. I was very clear that I wanted the acting and the characters to be as authentic as possible. At the same time, I wanted to the world to visually have a very particular look and feel, and for the rhythms of the edit and the scene structures to be very controlled. Every single thing in the film was intended, and we had to fight to make that suspension of disbelief work. So while we were pushing for a documentary-esque feel with the acting to help create stronger and more empathetic characters, we wanted the experience to feel cinematic.

Anjali: You've worked with villagers who are not professional actors. What made you take this decision and how different from working with actors?

Raam Reddy: Hi Anjali. This decision was born out of the intention to make an authentic film. Once that was decided, it is essential to cast actors who were native to the location. Hence the decision to work with non-professionals happened very naturally at the start of the creative process. Regarding how different it is from working with professionals, I would say it very different. There are pros and cons to both. The advantage of working with non-professionals is that once you are able to get them to relax in front of the camera and understand their role (it is often useful to keep their roles similar to their real life personalities and to cast with this in mind) they can create magically honest performances. The disadvantage is that there is a fair amount of gambling involved as the level of control of the director is often less than with professions, and it surely needs more patience and creativity to nurse performances out of non-professionals.

Sindhu: Sir, I have also learned that you studied in St. Stephens, in that regard - what was the challenges while shooting on a location which is alien to you, that too with non-professional actors!!!

Raam Reddy: It definitely was very challenging but I was working closely with my writer Eregowda who has been my friend for fifteen years, and he was born and brought up in the village where we shot the film. So he was an insider to the culture. I was an outsider who could keep a distance and build a story and cinematic experience from my interaction with the location. Together, and with the rest of my incredibly talented team, we were able to complete the film the way I was hoping to.

Sindhu: Also in this day of defining films by their genre, for example - commercial, art, non-linear etc....where exactyl do you place Thithi?

Raam Reddy: I am quite keen on attempting to break genre definitions in films. What I think is more important is the initial intention. Our initial intention was to create a warm, humorous film that was full of life. And in that process, my team and I decided to stay true to our creative impulses and do the best we could. Thithi came out of this simplicity. The main problem with genres is the preconceived notions that come with them: for example that art films need to be slow and socially conscious and commercial films need certain elements to be entertaining. To me film is an art form, so it is, and should be completely possible to make a fast-paced and entertaining film that is artistically brought to life, or to make a commercial film (in terms of economic viability) out of more typically serious subjects or treatments.

Anandita: There is widespread gender discrimination in the film industry, not just in India but all over the world. In your opinion, how best can we address this?

Raam Reddy: Hi Anandita. Discrimination of all kinds need to be avoided; I believe people need to start creating work by dropping all preconceptions and notions of typical marketability. Once this is done, discrimination (especially gender oriented) will automatically come to an end. One of the reasons the women characters in Thithi are particularly strong (even in comparison to the men) is because I felt the need to highlight the innate strength of women that was already intrinsic to the area where we shot. There were no pre-conceptions, purely a portrayal of reality. Once people start looking at things honestly, there will hopefully be a far more balanced portrayal and involvement of women in films, and i do believe this is necessary.

Sindhu: Also sir, the film has a linear narration at a time when non-linear narration is a style to present the subject effectively---is this your conscious decision, or did it just happen to be that way?

Raam Reddy: Again, there were almost no conscious decisions that were not dictated by the initial intentions. We felt early on that we wanted to make the treatment of the film as simple as possible to make the content of the story work (which was a fairly whimsical and complex narrative in content) in the best possible way. In our case, that meant a linear narrative. I was also very keen to make the story-tellers voice disappear while watching the film; I wanted it to feel like the film was just happening, like a floating point of view, and this intention would be harmed by non-linear story-telling.

Shashi: Is taking a political stand a must for a filmmaker making a film on contemporary social issues?

Raam Reddy: Hi Shashi. I do not think there are any "musts" in art. It is perfectly fine for a film to be completely observational, and in that way a-political (and often I find these films to be more thought-provoking and introspective than films with obvious viewpoints). It is also possible for the filmmakers views to be subtly and metaphorically communicated, and in that case the stand will not be obvious, and therefore the intent to communicate it may not be sole intention of the maker. So I think it completely depends on the particular artist, the same way the interpretation of any work of art is completely dependent on each and every audience member.

The Hindu: We've come to the end of the chat. Thank you Mr. Reddy for taking the time to answer our readers.

Raam Reddy: Thank you everyone for the questions; I had a great time chatting with you all! Before I leave, I wanted to share the news that Thithi has secured distribution in India and will be in theaters this summer (most probably in April)!

Thanks again for all your time, and all the best!

The Hindu: That's great! Looking forward to catching the film on the big screen. Thanks once again!

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