KOCHI: The mysticism in the movie was enchanting. And so were the visuals. What was captivating was the use of a folk narrative in a contemporary setting.
The short film (aka Laila Aur Saath Geeth) is based on Rajasthani writer Vijaydan Detha’s short story, and it portrays the tale of a woman who stood her ground when harassed by patriarchy. Recently, the short, which won multiple awards at film festivals across the world, was screened at the International Documentary and Short Film Festival of Kerala (IDSFFK). The director of the short, Pushpendra Singh, says changes in cinema worries and elates him at the same time.
“The Bollywood aura was what defined films for a majority of Indians when I was growing up. I too wanted to be an actor because of that. Later, exposure to different kinds of films prompted me to explore further,” says Pushpendra, who studied and later served as faculty at the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII).
TNIE catches up with the director for a quick chat. Yes, that’s a very positive change. Filmmaking used to be expensive, but now, with affordable cameras and home editing, it’s much more accessible.
The internet has also played a crucial role by enabling filmmakers to reach a wider audience through social media and crowdfunding. For my first film ‘Lajwanti’, I used crowdfunding to raise money, which wouldn’t have been possible in earlier systems. These are definitely positive advancements in the industry.
Many people are now going back to their roots or the surroundings they can relate to. When it comes from a personal space, there is power in the narrative. And unlike the earlier arthouse films, such movies now do not have a star cast.
They may be people from the surroundings where we make films. I have done it in many of my movies. I travelled, forged friendships, and then let the idea simmer in me before I reached out to people I came across with my idea.
So the content has the fragrance of life when it involves communities and becomes people-centric in the real sense. Folk is taken from the people in their natural settings and has a fluidity, unlike the classic, which is rigid. Folk makes you free; it is imaginative and experimental as well.
It is also suggestive. People can relate to it better than classics because it is in their songs, their tales, and their aesthetics. Everything has a place in society.
And art is diverse — it uses folklore, speaks of social issues, and personal too. Cinema is an art form that is not pure but amalgamates many aspects of art. So it can be used to express anything.
But what is important is the way it is expressed. To me, a film is both aesthetics and poetry. If one of them is missing, I feel that there is a problem.
In films based on social issues, I often feel propaganda popping up, whether left or right. And I wonder, even if the theme appeals to me, it could have been done in another medium instead of cinema. But I cannot blame only the filmmakers, because society is shaping that way — propaganda is everywhere.
But I feel if you are making cinema, make sure that it also flows like poetry. Through a sense of time, images, sound, music, the juxtaposition of shots..
. There are various factors, including my upbringing in a village, my growing up years, and my time in theatre — all these have shaped my understanding of poetry and cinema. I sense a pattern in them and a kind of confusion, it is also a reflection of the society we are in.
The barrage of content shows a rush to join the majority and get noticed. It has added to the anxiety of both the makers and the viewers, who especially are considered by the industry as impotent rather than discerning. But even amid the rush of bad content, there are some very bright outcomes, some good shoots.
So, things are also not easy. I think, every idea has to go through a process of imaginative incubation before it takes shape as an artwork. In a way, the field is now in a state of churning.
All I can tell the newcomers is to give their ideas a thought before moving ahead. Don’t just add to the chaos, to the capitalist structure to control attention spans. However, the industry is also very democratic now.
And the beauty of democracy is that, minorities also have a voice. Those who want to incubate their ideas, to sit with them, seem like a minority now. But the positive is they get the same benefits of the system to execute those ideas, be it money or space.
Things will get better and good artists will always find their way. My only suggestion would be to pause and think..
