Wednesday, April 29, 20154 GULF TIMES

COVER STORY

On one of the cooler April evenings, Christy Siluvappan sits by the pool at a spa near

Corniche and looks as content as a successful first-time film producer could.

“The challenge was to challenge ourselves,” he says, when asked about the backbreaking task of helming his debut Tamil film Kuttram Kadithal — The Punishment, which won the Best Tamil Film award at the 62nd National Film Awards of

India, earlier this year, and has been travelling film festivals all over.

“It’s very difficult to know when we can actually feel satisfied. The question is when can we put a full stop, and say alright, this shot is good,” he says,

pausing for words, “So the biggest challenge was always within.”

Settled in Doha with an exciting and exacting job as a media manager at Al Jazeera Network, Siluvappan may also be the unlikeliest of late-blooming indie film producer prototypes. Yet, to

him, it was only natural that he did this.

“Film-making has always been my passion, and the language of cinema isn’t new to me,” says the 30-something, who started out as a video editor and a photographer, and has done everything, from being a cameraman to a colourist, “I was into the industry, but I wasn’t in the industry.”

In the time that he wouldn’t be busy building workflows and frenetically ideating at his job here in Doha, Siluvappan’s long-bred passion struck harmony with his creative side and thus came together Kuttram Kadithal.

Directed by debutant Bramma G, the taut drama tells the story of 24 hours in the life of a young female teacher who has married against her family’s wishes, and is trying to start a new life with her beloved engineer husband. Things go awry when she encounters a person she has never met in her life. Soon, she finds herself being chased by the police and the media. She flees the city and becomes Most Wanted overnight.

The first vestiges of the film can be traced back to a little tea shop in Chennai, India, around two-and-a-half years ago. “That day, Bramma and I began discussing about making a film because we had been thinking about it for the longest,” Siluvappan shares, “I have been living in Qatar for nine years, and as a Non-Resident Indian (NRI), my heart was always longing to do something back home.”

Like his theatre writer-director friend Bramma and others, Siluvappan, too, was a theatre artiste. “So we decided that all of us theatre friends should get together and make this happen,” he says. From the film’s sound designer to the editor, everybody was a friend or a friend of a friend.

As they began hashing out the script, Siluvappan and Bramma — who had a regular government job — agreed on two things: keep it close to reality and keep it quick. “The narrative had to be pacy,” he says, “as the current crop of audience is mostly interested in a film that is running, throbbing.”

Since the narrative follows a slew of fascinating characters, the camera “is merely an observer in these people’s lives.” Siluvappan says, “We didn’t try to write much

Toil, sweat, rewardKuttram Kadithal — The Punishment, which won the Best Tamil Film award

at the 62nd National Film Awards of India, is slated for a worldwide release in

May, including in Doha. Filmmaker Christy Siluvappan tells Anand Holla

how the drama unfolded and what it means for him and his crew

DETERMINED: Settled in Doha with an exacting job as a media manager at Al Jazeera Network, Christy Siluvappan may be the unlikeliest of late-blooming indie film producer prototypes. Photo by Anand Holla

“It’s very difficult to know when we can actually feel satisfied. The question is when can we put a full stop, and say alright, this shot is good,” Siluvappan says

5Wednesday, April 29, 2015

COVER STORYGULF TIMES

and etch out a character. We actually let characters perform and then we observed them and captured them.”

An intriguing casting choice was Master Ajay, who was handpicked from a children’s home in Chennai. “We were looking at a lot of fine faces but a fine face is not what we wanted. We wanted a face like Ajay’s,” Siluvappan says of the boy whose face and demeanour packs in a ton of emotions that words may not convey, “He has perhaps gone through a lot, and it shows.”

Last May, the shoot was wrapped up, in just 55 days. Initially, the crew decided to make do with Canon 5D Mark II. “We eventually decided to shoot it with Red digital cinema camera as I knew that there would be a massive perceptible difference in the results,” Siluvappan recalls, “It was a big decision for me because suddenly the production cost skyrocketed. But we wanted that look.”

What was definitely kind on the pockets of the producers — JSK Film Corporation, and Siluvappan’s Chris Pictures — is the premise of the film. “Since it was the first film for all of us, we wanted something real, like a story we could easily connect to. Even better that this plot suited our budget,” he says and laughs.

The idea was to just make a film. “A good film,” Siluvappan stresses on ‘good’, “That’s it.” So when he saw the finished film hot off the cinematic oven the first time, Siluvappan felt content. “Whatever happens thereafter is all commercial. Awards and acclaim are all welcome, but our focus was to complete the film the way we had written.”

In an unconventional move, more so for an enthusiastic debut brigade, they decided to not release it. “Having won the National Award for the previous year, Satish Kumar, of JSK, came on board also as a producer and helped take the film to various avenues, including International Film Festival of India (IFFI), 2014,” Siluvappan says.

Siluvappan sees something special in how when the National Awards in India were announced, Qatar’s Emir visited India. “I was flying down from Qatar to India and I sensed that I was part of this interesting collaboration that was happening between the two countries,” he muses.

“Qataris are huge consumers of Bollywood cinema. If you have any doubt about that, you can find out for yourself by catching the Hindi films being shown at Villaggio or City Center,” Siluvappan says, “That’s why I feel Qataris must invest in Indian films which are terrific investment options. As a producer, when you invest wisely in Indian cinema, you are very likely to get double or triple returns.”

For expats, it’s all the more arduous to pursue their passion while tackling their regular job — Siluvappan knows this because he has been through it. “You can do what you desire to do only if you have the passion,” he says.

“I had tried making a film here

in Doha, but it didn’t work out. It’s very tough because both your office work and film-making are full-time jobs. Doing the two together and doing them well is difficult. I have met a lot of NRIs who want to make movies, but they have concluded that it’s too difficult to pull off. I say if you put your heart into it, you can make it — like I did,” he points out.

For instance, for several months on end, Siluvappan would fly to Chennai on weekends to work on Kuttram Kadithal. “I had to,” he says, “You cannot do these things if you don’t connect.”

The film is slated for a worldwide release in May, including in Doha. Looking back, Siluvappan maintains that the most complex bit was challenging their minds over whether they did the right thing.

“After making a film, you might be satisfied, but you don’t know what others think until you get some recognition or people’s reactions,” he explains, “At the end of the day, you are making a film not for yourself, but for others. And yet, we must satisfy ourselves first, before thinking of others.”

As prolific a writer as Bramma is known in his circle back home,

execution is what torments an indie filmmaker’s debut. “For a scriptwriter who has never been a director, it’s a massive challenge,” Siluvappan reasons, “That’s because he will keep referring to his papers and make sure those written scenes come alive on screen, just that way, or else he won’t stop.”

That obviously meant a crazy work schedule that knew no boundaries of the clock. “Every scene that Bramma shoots, he simply refuses to compromise. So I had to keep reminding him in a nice, diplomatic way, that you know, every film kind of still requires improvisation,” Siluvappan says, and laughs.

Just as everything came together for the cast and crew of Kuttram Kadithal, serendipity, too, extended a warm, if somewhat spooky, hand to the film’s protagonist Radhika Prasidhha, who plays Merlin, the teacher.

“It was the first day of our shoot and we checked into a college hostel far from Chennai. Radhika went to her room to find that somebody had written Happy Birthday Merlin on the wall,” Siluvappan recounts, “She

ignored it as a prank and later confronted us over it. None of us had written that.”

What could it mean? “I think the birthday message signified the birth of that character Merlin,” Siluvappan says, and smiles,

“Only later, we learnt that it wasn’t intended for her. It was written some time back for a girl named Merlin who stayed there. Incidentally, Radhika met that Merlin a year later. Whatever it was, it felt like a blessing.”

“Qataris are huge consumers of Bollywood cinema. If you have any doubt about that, you can find out for yourself by catching the Hindi films being shown at Villaggio or City Center,” Siluvappan says, “That’s why I feel Qataris must invest in Indian films which are terrific investment options. As a producer, when you invest wisely in Indian cinema, you are very likely to get double or triple returns”

A still from Kuttram Kadithal.

CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED: As well as landing the National Award, the film has travelled several festivals.

Labour of love

Doha 27°C—39°C toDay Puzzles 14 & 15lifestyle/horosCoPe 13

Rajab 10, 1436 AHWednesday, April 29, 2015

Round & AboutI-Wed 2015 brings fabulous wedding trends and the opportunity of connecting the service providers to set up for the big occasion.

CinemaIndian cinema can also be subtle and silent. MS Prakash Babu’s Fig Fruit and the Wasps is a brilliant example.

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CommunityCommunity talks to some prominent Nepali community leaders in Qatar about the recent earthquake.

2018CommunityZumba fitness dance class at Sheraton will raise funds for Unicef Road to Awareness campaign for underprivileged children.

HollywoodWith so much on offer, a mix of movies will actually make this summer’s entertainment fare more fulfilling.

10PASSIONATE: Christy Siluvappan poses for Community. Photo by Anand Holla

Doha-based media manager Christy Siluvappan opens up on his ‘mission

impossible’ — making a debut Tamil film — whilst sticking to his job! P4-5

CoverStory

9Tuesday, May 5, 2015 GULF TIMES

COMMUNITY

Doha resident wins an Indian National Film AwardBy Anand Holla

At the 62nd National Film Awards Ceremony — the highest awards in the field of Indian

entertainment — in New Delhi, India, on Sunday evening, a non-resident Indian from Doha, too, went up on stage to receive an award.

Christy Siluvappan, who works as a media manager at Al Jazeera Network here in Doha, is the producer of a gripping Tamil drama Kuttram Kadithal (The Punishment), and the film was adjudged as the Best Tamil film of the year.

Last week, Community did an interview with Siluvappan, for whom filmmaking has always

been a passion. “It was a great experience meeting all other awardees in this event, and meeting Industry stalwarts of India was very encouraging and energising, as well,” Siluvappan said, from Delhi.

Directed by debutant Bramma G, the film tells the story of 24 hours in the life of a young female teacher who has married against her family’s wishes, and is trying to start a new life with her beloved engineer husband. Things go awry when she encounters a person she has never met in her life. Soon, she finds herself being chased by the police and the media. She flees the city and becomes Most Wanted overnight.

Siluvappan said, “We were appreciated and welcomed by many industry biggies such as actor-producer Dhanush, who too received an award. Director

Barathiraja Sir, who was the Jury Chairman, appreciated our work as this is our debut production under Chris Pictures. My friends in Qatar and other countries wished us all the success and we are super excited about our future ventures. I look forward for the well-heeled NRI businessmen to see opportunities in Indian Cinema and come forward to turn their passions into reality.”

The biggest challenge was to challenge their own selves, Siluvappan said, when asked about the backbreaking task of helming his debut that has been travelling film festivals all over, and is slated for a release this month.

“It’s very difficult to know when we can actually feel satisfied. The question is when can we put a full stop, and say alright, this shot is good. So the biggest challenge was always within,” he said. WINNERS: The film’s director Bramma, left, with producer Christy Siluvappan.

Winning entries from MIA student art competition go on display

A showcase of winning entries from a competition recently organised by the Museum of Islamic Art

(MIA) has opened in the museum’s Education Centre, coinciding with its special exhibition Marvellous Creatures: Animal Fables in Islamic Art.

The competition, titled Art in the Making, invited students aged 16-25 to submit artworks from September 2014 – January 2015. A total of 66 entries were received, among them 19 from overseas. Artworks submitted included illustrations, paintings, and mixed media inspired by animal fables, specifically those from well-known and beloved classics such as Kalila wa Dimna and One Thousand and One Nights.

A judging panel that included Dr Sabrina Puppin, MIA Head of Art Education and Art Programs and Dr Leslee Michelsen, MIA Head of Curatorial and Research, carefully selected ten winners to put on a show (eight of which are from Qatar). The winning entries

were chosen for their artistry, imagination and narrative skill.

In addition to being displayed in the showcase running until June 1, the winning artworks are also featured in a special commemorative

book. Featuring 30 colourful images, and delightful artist statements, the books were awarded to the winners at a special event that took place at the MIA Education Centre recently.

Aisha al-Khater, Director of

MIA, said, “It is a great pleasure to present the winning entries of the Marvellous Creatures Art Competition, produced by a group of truly talented students. Each of them expressed an artistic

understanding and appreciation of these great fables of the past, and brought them to life in their own creative ways. These new illustrations provide fresh insight into these timeless tales, and we hope both this competition and the exhibition itself will continue to inspire young artists to draw on these stories and give them a fresh meaning.”

The Art in the Making competition forms part of a larger calendar of educational events that MIA has on offer for everyone to enjoy this summer, reinforcing MIA’s focus on art, and heritage, and its commitment to nurturing emerging talent and fostering an indigenous culture of creativity and innovation. Educational activities on offer this summer include talks and tours, family activities, library programmes, activities for schools, calligraphy workshops and art workshops. Together, these form part of MIA’s continued efforts in providing dynamic exhibition activities that appeal to diverse communities.

ARTISTIC: Two of the students whose work is being displayed at the exhibit.