A silent film against language domination

‘Asmite’ is filmmaker Pawan Kumar’s response to the language debate now raging in Karnataka.

With the movement against Hindi imposition gaining momentum, it is part of a project called ‘Kannadadali’ (in Kannada).

The director of ‘Lucia’ and ‘U Turn’ has teamed up with six filmmakers to make an anthology. They will submit it to the Central Board of Film Certification and request a censor certificate in Kannada. They believe this is a meaningful way to show how Hindi is riding roughshod over Kannada.

In the 20-minute silent film on YouTube, we see a toddler whose workaholic father’s closest companions are his gadgets. The mother is full of life, raising her son with utmost care. The conflict begins when the mother dies and the child struggles to adjust to a world largely created by his stepmother.

For a film that’s about language, ‘Asmite’ does not have any dialogues. “For me, it wasn’t just about Kannada or Hindi; it was about deprivation. I thought if I used dialogues, it would stand out just as a language issue. In a way, the subject is universal,” he says.

Pawan says the father is mostly like the state government. “He is always there but isn’t taking control; he isn’t actively showing concern. For me, the stepmother is the central government, dictating and making choices for everybody,” he says.

However, Pawan avoids treating the stepmother as the typical “wicked person”.

“We need to make an effort to bring about change. Show your displeasure to the government, drive the point across and parallelly do your bit. We feel helpless till we take up challenges. We don’t have to show outrage against another language, but we must talk about what we want,” he says.

Though it is a short film, the music used in it has the standard of a feature film. In the last act, Poornachandra Tejaswi’s score is a fine mix of tension and poignancy, with a moving tune taking you to a heartwarming climax.

“I wondered what music can do in a silent film. He (Tejaswi) was trying to underline what was happening and I wasn’t convinced. If the characters are happy, the music shouldn’t be happy. Then I told him to feel like a character within the film; I wanted the music to tell the story. The sound design team also deserves special credit,” says Pawan.

‘Asmite’ means identity and perhaps the film hits hardest to a Bengaluru Kannadiga, who often sees his language pushed to the margins.

The climax delivers a knockout punch. Instead of feeling burdened and lost by the chorus of ‘Kannad gothila’, the final scene urges one to look at the sea of opportunities to preserve and cherish the language.