Stories of life, survival and death converge at BIFFes

Stories of life, survival and death converge at BIFFes

The 12th edition of the Bengaluru International Film Festival (BIFFes) saw films dealing with diverse topics and themes. In the audience to watch these were actors, directors and film buffs from across the country. Metrolife caught up with a few of them and here’s what they had to say

Mercy killing or plain cruelty

Director Santosh Mandoor’s film ‘Pani’ was screened on fourth day of BIFFes. The story is based on the age-old tradition of Thalaikoothal (involuntary euthanasia). It is still being followed in some of the interior villages in Tamil Nadu. “This is a practice of the mercy killing of ailing parents by their children. This is done through a long process where the ailing father or mother is brought out of the confines of their home in the wee hours and made to lie on a hard surface cot in the verandah. The first step is to put oil on their head. Pour cold water on them several times over. They are then given coconut water. This process is repeated several times over, till they die of fever or pneumonia. This is mercy killing but it is being misused today,” Santosh Mandoor tells Metrolife on the sidelines of the festival. He says six months of research and ground work has been done before the shoot started. “Through our interactions, newspaper clippings and on-spot visits, we found out that children are misusing this practice to corner their parent’s wealth, for jobs and other selfish motives. There is no case filed and no police inquiry. So essentially the guilty roam free,” adds Santosh. The film is produced by Bengaluru-bsed film makers Aamir Sherif and Soudha Sherif. The executive producer is Nalloor Narayan. About why he decided to produce this film, Neloor says “The subject is relevant to current times and we thought we should bring it to people. The film has been screened at 14 film festivals across the world and won seven awards, including the ‘Best Film’ at New Delhi film festival.”

‘Mudina Niladana’: A new age film

Directed by talk show host and first-time director Vinay Bharadwaj, ‘Mudina Niladana’ has been selected in the ‘Asian Cinema Competition’ at Biffes. The film traces the lives of three people whose paths cross and how life leads them to their respective destinations. Speaking to Metrolife during the festival, Vinay says his talk show that featured touching stories of well-known people like Kiran Mazumdhar Shaw, actor Puneeth Rajkumar and cricketer K L Rahul, inspired him to get into filmmaking. Vinay says “The film is targeted at Millennials and the urban crowd. I have tried to narrate the story through their eyes and throw in situations that the youth will relate to. Issues like whether marriage is necessary and why people make and break relationships are dealt with in the film. We’ve also touched upon instances where people attempt suicide because of a breakup and look at whether it is worth sacrificing your life for somebody you met just yesterday.” It’s a new-age film where the strong issues are conveyed through music and dance—two things loved by the youth.

Music has the power to heal: Venkatesh Kotturu

‘Raaga Bhairavi’, directed by S Venkatesh Kotturu, that is being screened at Biffes, is the story of Hindustani vocalist Bhairavi. She is popular for her rendition of Bhairavi raga. The music for the film is given by well-known vocalist Dr Jayadevi Jangamashetti.
Venkatesh tells Metrolife that this is one among the few films that has been made with Hindustani music as the main theme. “We have 10 songs and all sung in Hindustani style. It looks at the life of a Hindustani musician who is affected by cancer. How she overcomes the disease and gets back into singing forms the heart of the story. We also look at how music is used a tool to cure diseases like cancer,” explains Venkatesh. The film features movie, theatre and television actors.

Portraying the struggles within

Girish Kasaravalli’s ‘Illiralaare Allige Hogallare’ delves into immigration as a universal phenomenon. The film looks at the struggles that go on within everybody. Apoorva Kasaravalli, who has worked on the film with his father, explains “The feeling of being confined to a place where you can’t get out is something that everybody goes through at some point. It is not something that is peculiar to an urban or rural setting, it is a universal phenomenon. Everybody is confined to a place where they can’t get out from --- which can be your job, circle of friends. You are always stuck in something but aspiring for something else. This is what is dealt with in the film.” There are two stories running parallel to each other --- a rural story set in the 60s and the urban story of what is happening now. “Both deal with confinement and the dilemma of being stuck,” adds Apoorva. The producer of the film S V Shivakumar, says this is his first film with Girish Kasaravalli. “He (Girish) eats, breathes, walks and talks cinema. I admire his approach to movies and like the way he deals with sensitive subjects. His thinking is beyond the ordinary and his homework is perfect. This is why his films have a world-class appeal.”