Going from strength to strength as an editor
Appu Bhattathiri talks of editing Ozhivu Divasathe Kali and his journey as a film editor
His ambition since childhood was to become a filmmaker. But by a quirk of fate, he became a film editor instead. Appu Bhattathiri from Thiruvananthapuram is already an acclaimed editor and his work is equally lauded by film buffs as well as critics. He is now busy with the final cuts of Sanal Kumar Sasidharan’s second feature, Ozhivu Divasathe Kali.
It is with the award winning film Oraalppokkam, directed by Sanal Kumar, that Appu debuted as an editor. “Before this movie, I had edited various short films for my friends, which were uploaded in YouTube.”
“After watching these films, director Sanal chettan called me to inquire about the settings regarding the uploading of a short film directed by him. That was in 2013. Later in December the same year we met during IFFK and he said that he was doing a film named Oraalppokkam and wanted me as the film editor. That time, I was busy with writing a script for a movie which I was about to start. But he ensured me that time would not be a problem as I would get enough time to give a perfect final output. That was how I became part of that project,” says Appu.
Around six months was allotted by the director for the editing process. “When I was called for the project, almost 60 percent of the shoot was completed and around 30-hour footage was with them. The final film was taken from the 45-hour-long footages,” says the editor.
He adds that Ozhivu Divasathe Kali is totally different compared to his debut venture. “Almost all the shots of this film are long takes. So that the number of cuts will be very less,” says Appu, the man behind the smooth cuts of Kunjiramayanam.
“I know Basil Joseph, director of Kunjiramayanam, from 2012 and it was through a mutual friend that we got acquainted. It was for his short film Priyamvadha Katharayano that he first approached me. Later we worked for various short films and small video projects he had done while working with Infosys. Now we are at his debut directorial feature film Kunjiramayanam,” he sums up.
