Two films with south connect won top honours at the Cannes Film Festival
Honour: Actress Shweta Tripathi, director Neeraj Ghaywan and actress Richa Chadda pose during a photocall for Masaan at the 68th Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France (Photo: AFP)
Chennai: It was surprise and joy in equal measure when French director Jacques Audiard’s Dheepan was awarded this year’s Palme d’Or at the Cannes festival — and also a matter of immense pride for Chennaiites as the flick features namma ooru theatre artist Kalieaswari Srinivasan as one of the protagonists.
Brilliantly portraying the character of a refugee having to flee post civil-war Sri Lanka with a fake family to France, Kalieaswari’s performance has received much critical acclaim from the jury headed by the Coen brothers and also from others in it including the likes of director Guillermo del Toro, actors Jake Gyllenhal and Sienna Miller among others.
Speaking to DC from Cannes in an exclusive interview, Kali says she is immensely happy and feels on top of the world. “It has been a wonderful experience! I’ve never been so dressed up in my life! But it was the warmth and the genuine wishes of the people here, at the theatre, on the roads, in the hotel, etc, that I will take back with me as souvenirs,” says the actress.
How did the movie happen for her in the first place? “It all began with an audition, when the casting director Philippe had come down to Chennai to conduct auditions. Honestly, I didn’t know what to expect as I started this project with empty mind — like a blank slate open to the experience and no expectations to begin with. I only wanted to work with the director Jacques Audiard and do some good work. I saw one of his earlier movies A Prophet, and sat back marvelling at his genius! All I wanted then was to be part of this project,” she recalls.
In the grim drama, Kali essays the role of Yalini, who arrives in France with pretend-husband Dheepan (Antonythasan Jesuthasan) and daughter Illayaal (Claudine Vinasithamby), and goes to work as a housemaid — while striking up an intriguing relationship with a recently released French prisoner.
And naturally, she pays tribute to the theatre background she hails from — “After I quit my job, theatre happened just as an accident. I have worked with Theatre Y, Indianostrum, Manalmagudi, etc to mention a few groups whose works are diverse. I am what I am in theatre, because of the cumulative experience with each of them. I honestly have no idea what’s next — things have a way of working themselves out! I have a project with Indianostrum once am back, for which I have been waiting for a long time. So that’s that for now. I try not to expect. Then every simple thing that happens is fresh and it surprises me. I prefer it that way.”
Did she imagine an experience like this ever occurring, while being a BPO employee a few years ago? “I had no dreams or wishes to make it big, but to act and act well with all what I have. Being true to self, hard work, like real sincere hard work and a good heart (I believe) has led to all this. I thank my theatre family for all the love. And I do not think making it big in movies is the be-all and the end all of an actor. Nor is theatre considered a second option. We do theatre because we believe in it and for the joy of it,” she smiles.
Big win for first timer:
Filmmaker Neeraj Ghaywan has been making headlines worldwide for the much-acclaimed Masaan — his first-ever feature film, which not only received a five-minute standing ovation at the 68th Cannes Film Festival, but also managed to win the FIPRESCI, the International Jury of Film Critics prize, and the Promising Future prize. It is the first Indian film to get an award in an official Cannes category in 15 years.
And despite the plot revolving around the small Indian city of Varanasi, Masaan (which means crematorium grounds), has left the world stunned. “The narrative is rooted in a small city (Varanasi) and yet it talks about relationships which are universal — between a father and a daughter, father and a son. It’s about love and friendship, emotions that transcend boundaries,” says the director who was born and brought up in Hyderabad.
Neeraj finished his schooling from the Kendriya Vidyalaya at Shivarampally and graduation from the CBIT, and says his interest in non-commercial Indian cinema began at home.
“When I was a young boy, my mother and sister used to watch films that were part of parallel cinema movement on Doordarshan and I would often join them,” he says.
Raised in a Maharashtrian family, Neeraj was forced to learn Telugu only when he was ragged in college. And when it comes to Telugu films, he prefers the older ones — like Geetanjali and Sagara Sangamam.
But serious filmmaking came to him much later in life, when he decided to quit his corporate job, a six-figure salary following a burnout sparked by creative dissatisfaction.
“At the same time, I was also writing for a film blog called, Passion for Cinema, which was helmed by Anurag Kashyap. He liked how I wrote and critiqued international films and suggested I come and work with him as an assistant,” says Neeraj, who not only looks up to Anurag as a mentor but says that he owes his career in films to him.
“For two-and-a-half years on the sets of Gangs of Wasseypur, I completely let go and got myself involved in everything — from research to production and even the editing of the film. It was like the film school experience I never had,” he says. And now, following a phenomenal response from Cannes, the next agenda for the Masaan team is to release the film in India by July.
“Since Masaan is a very small film, it would have been lost amidst the commercial Rs 100 crore films had we released it before taking it to film festivals. We don’t have a marketing budget, but now with the right kind of buzz, I am hoping the film is received well in the country as well. “I won’t be able to take a holiday till the India release, but I plan to come visit my parents in Hyderabad, once I am back,” he adds.
Along with the acclaim that his first feature film has received, Neeraj’s decision of quitting his job and making films has come to a full circle of sorts. “I think the whole concept of struggle is a bit overrated. Because if you want to be good at something, you can’t take shortcuts. It’s important to retain that honesty, to remember why you are here — and that’s when things start to truly shape up.”
( Source : dc )
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