I stay away from social media, says award-winning filmmaker Vetrimaaran

The International Film Festival of India (IFFI) that ushered in a carnival-like atmosphere in Goa whetted the appetite of cinephiles further on Wednesday with a bouquet of events and offerings, from workshops and discussions to master classes and screenings.

Winner of five national awards, filmmaker Vetrimaaran, known for his raw and bold portrayal of social issues in Asuran, Vada Chennai and Visaranai, said he stayed away from social media and was unaffected by all the hype surrounding his work.

Presenting his latest film, Viduthalai: Part One, the filmmaker said, "I'm not responsible for the expectation and the hype, and I'm not working on it or creating it. I don't have Twitter (now X), I was on Facebook but I'm happy someone hacked my account. So I'm trying to keep myself intact."

But there are times when the pressure gets to him, the filmmaker admitted. Viduthalai: Part One, starring Vijay Sethupathi, Soori, Gautham Vasudev Menon and Bhavani Sre, is part of the Indian Panorama line-up at the festival. Set in 1987 in Tamil Nadu, it follows the police crackdown on The People's Army, an armed anti-government outfit, that poses a big threat to the stability of the government in the region.

Masterclasses

In an acting masterclass with Sethupathi, moderated by Khushboo Sundar, he advised young actors not to get attracted by awards and recognitions. "Get into the character and feel the character," added the actor.

The actor presented his silent film, Gandhi Talks on Tuesday. Known for critically acclaimed performances in movies such as Vikram Vedha, Super Deluxe, and most recently, Shah Rukh Khan-starrer Jawan, he had said he always focused on establishing a connection with his audience and convincing them about his performance. Gandhi Talks is directed by Kishor Pandurang Belekar and also stars Aditi Rao Hydari, Arvind Swamy and Siddharth Jadhav.

Filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar, in his master class, moderated by film critic Taran Adarsh, said how failures are sometimes important. "Failures are blessings in disguise. The failure of Trishakti made me make Chandni Bar and attempt a different genre," he added.

Actor Babil Khan, in a discussion with the team of The Railway Men, said that one has to find the character they are playing within themselves. "You have to suppress the parts that are you and shine light on the part of you that is the character," he said.

The audience broke into applause as the young actor astonished them with his answers.

Challenging to choose

Speaking to DH, the Indian Panorama jury chairperson for feature films, T S Nagabharana said it was a challenge to select the top 25 films from a submission of over 280 films. "The films were chosen only on the basis of quality and merit," he added.

Earlier, Day 3 of the festival began with the screening of the Cantonese film, 'Elegies', directed by Ann Hui.

CM hosts Salman

The festival also had its star-struck moments when Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant hosted actor Salman Khan at his official residence at Altinho here on Tuesday. “Happy to host megastar Salman Khan at Mahalaxmi Altinho Panaji on the sidelines of 54th International Film Festival of India," Sawant wrote on a social media platform.

(With PTI inputs)