'My film is a document of our dark days'

Utsav Gonwar

The Kannada film 'Photo', screened at the recently-concluded Bengaluru International Film Festival (BIFFes), chronicles the story of a father and son walking back to their village after the government imposes a lockdown without any notice.

Set in Raichur, a part of Kalyana-Karnataka, the story begins when the school's teacher tells the student that a 15-day holiday has been declared due to the pandemic. Durgya (played by Veeresh Gonwar), one of the students, wants to use the holiday to take a picture of himself in front of the Vidhana Soudha.

His mother (Sandhya Arakere), unaware of the onset of the pandemic, reluctantly sends the boy to work with his father (Mahadev Hadapad) in Bengaluru as a construction labourer. Durgya reaches Bengaluru but his dream crashes into pieces when a lockdown is announced. The father-son duo decides to go back to the village using whatever transportation is available.

'Photo' conveys the contrasts of India during Covid without being judgemental. The film is minimalistic in nature and has realistic performances. Directed by debutant Utsav Gonwar, 'Photo' was adjudged the third best Kannada film at the BIFFes. He spoke to Showtime about his film. Excerpts:

What inspired you to make 'Photo'?

When the lockdown began, I read about a pregnant lady who walked to Ballari and died. This story left me very disturbed. This incident was the film's starting point.

What were the preparation you underwent before the shoot?

We rehearsed from February to May. The lead role was played by Sandhya Arakere. Being from Mandya, she spoke a different dialect.

To ensure that she got the North Karnataka dialect right, I made her speak to all the ladies of the village. We did whatever we could to get authenticity and prevent reshoots

Is the film partly autobiographical? One of the characters refers to the feudal system...

A lot of things in the films are from my life. You still can't play cricket without the power dynamics of caste, religion and money in my village.

The pandemic management was a heavily debated topic. Were you afraid that the film would become controversial?

I was concerned, yes, but I was clear that I would not compromise with the script. I wanted to make a thoroughly honest film. I conveyed my points through contrasts.

How difficult was it to pull off your first film? Did financial constraints put the project in limbo?

A lot of us worked without payment. However, the budget shot up because we did not want to compromise on quality. We decided to use sync sound to make the experience more effective. The second lockdown hit us badly. People involved with the project went home and we abandoned the film halfway. Mahadev Hadapad, the protagonist, badly wanted this story to be told so he arranged funds for the project to resume.

What challenges did you face as an indie filmmaker to showcase your first film to the masses?

I had no clue what to do after the film was censored four months ago. The BIFFes came as a great platform to showcase my film. Filmmaking is one thing and planning strategies for submitting it for film festivals is a different thing altogether. I wish this process would be more organised in future.

People at the festival loved your film...

Well, I don't want people to like the film. It was about our dark days. If people see this film after 100 years, I just want them to see it as a document of our times. That said, I am thankful for people's support.

How do you see activism from filmmakers?

Activists believe in direct actions while creative people express their concerns in different ways. Most of our actions are political and hence, films cannot avoid political conversations. We need to have more of those.

Tell us about your cinematic influences.

I discontinued my education during my 12th standard as I wanted to pursue a career in films. When I saw 'Bicycle Thieves' at a film festival, it influenced me a lot and I decided to be a director. I want to tell the tales of the land. 'Taste of Cherry' and 'Bicycle Thieves' are my go-to films. In India, I like the works of Marathi filmmaker Nagraj Manjule ('Sairat' and 'Fandry'). My reading also shaped me. Shivaram Karanth’s 'Alida Mele' taught me not to be judgemental in life.