I have grown as a director'

Bold step

Filmmakers tend to draw their inspiration from the unlikeliest quarters around them. From newspaper headlines to trivia, from watching another movie to conversations with friends and even from strangers— the sources are manifold.

One among the few women directors in the Kannada film industry, Suman Kittur says she makes only those films that reflect real life experiences. This, she believes, not only entertains viewers but also provides them with a wholesome package that provokes them to think beyond what they see on the big screen.

Suman’s latest project, ‘Kiragoorina Gayyaligalu’, has been adapted from the short story of popular Kannada writer Purnachandra Tejaswi, which goes by the same name. This film showcases how women in a particular village join hands to prevent the village and the families from being destroyed.

 “Most people talk about how women are being subjected to a lot of trouble but nobody does anything to improve their position. Projecting women's issues through a film is something that can promote awareness and help find answers. This is exactly what I’ve tried to do in my current project,” Suman narrates.

She says that she has captured the spirit of women living in a small village called Kiraguru.

“There are some forces in the village who work overtime to ensure that the village is destroyed bit by bit. But it is a group of bold women who get together and rope in the weaker ones to prevent the village from crumbling. We have attempted to narrate a serious subject in a humourous way,” she adds.

Suman says her biggest challenge has been to present a serious subject in a light way. “It’s always better to say things straight on the face but there are some things that you just can’t say directly and have to package and put in such a way that the message comes through loud and clear without hurting anybody’s sentiments,” she observes.

She says the film has not only enriched her experience as a director but also made her a stronger individual. “I have grown as a director and as a person. There’s so much I had to learn and unlearn as well,” she adds. 

Suman feels that people, especially women, will instantly relate to the subject.
“The film has a strong subject and a commercial touch such as fast movements. It also has a sound cultural appeal, thanks to creative costumes worn by the actors,” she explains.

Asked if she had to travel to a village and live there to get a feel of the place and interact with people for the film and she says, “I was born and raised in a village. Although I am now living in an urban setting, my heart and soul is still that of a villager.” Suman adds that more than learning about a village, she had to, in fact, teach all the characters in the film about life in a village.