On top of her game

Woman in cinema

Cinema is all about entertainment, but films should not be senseless,” says Sudha Kongara, the latest addition to the not-so-long list of talented women directors in Indian cinema.

Sudha has caught the attention of film buffs as well as critics, with her much-appreciated film Irudhi Suttru, the tale of a failed boxer-turned-coach. The film, which Sudha also remade in Hindi titled Saala Khadoos, was born out of extensive research into the fascinating world of boxing.

“I was drawn to cinema from a young age. It all began for me when I started working with actress Revathy, especially in Tamil cinema. Then from 2000 onwards, I started working on my own projects. I have also worked with Mani Ratnam,” she says, adding, “Everything I learnt about films was on the job. If you are a director, you have to learn all aspects of filmmaking — not just editing or script-writing — as you do in a film institute. What’s more, working with Mani sir was like studying at IIT. He is a complete filmmaker.”

Sensible cinema

Explaining her love for Mani Ratnam’s cinema, Sudha says, “He blends commercial elements with artistic values in his films. Take for instance Mouna Ragam (1986). There is a woman who questions the society. That kind of woman was considered bold at the time the film came out. His editing is extremely artistic, so is every other aspect. In fact, Mani sir is among my favourite directors in cinema along with Francis Ford Coppola, Steven Spielberg and Sanjay Leela Bhansali.”

When asked if there is space for women directors in the male-dominated Indian cinema, Sudha avers, “Absolutely, as long as they keep coming up. Nobody in the industry is stopping women from entering the field. Only, the success rate is low here for both men and women. There is no discrimination against women filmmakers. Nobody has told me that they will not listen to my story or script because I am a woman. At the same time, Mani sir did not extend any special treatment to me just because I am a woman. You see, the turf is the same for all.”

On marginalisation

Further elaborating on the subject, she says, “I would say the ratio of women directors in our cinema as opposed to Hollywood is 1:31. There are only a few women making films here. But, if you ask me, if there is a difference between the films made by women directors abroad and those here, I would say that it’s all the same. After all, the sensibilities are the same. Also, you have a Farah Khan making action films here, just as the Hollywood counterparts.”

Giving her take on Indian cinema and her films in particular, Sudha says, “Our cinema is a reflection of our society. I am not particular about focussing on a single subject or issue. My films are about the things I come across in life, and from there my film evolves. The topics keep changing. I am a mercurial and volatile person. I like all genres except horror.”

Unlike several women directors, Sudha does not want to make only women-centric films or focus more on women characters. “I don’t want a world without men. There is no place like that in the world, first of all. Even in a ladies’ hostel, there are men, like the watchman, the milk man etc, invariably. I don’t want to make an all-women film.”

Expressing a similar view when asked if there should be award categories exclusively for women filmmakers at national and state level, she exclaims, “No, no. We are not freaks!”