Anirudh turns to writing, directing

Popular Sandalwood actor Anirudh Jatkar has now forayed into writing and directing. He recently released six short films which conveyed a social message but without the use of any dialogues. Anirudh has explored genres like horror, comedy and political satire.

‘Candle light’ is a five- minute horror story with a twist. ‘Save’ is a comedy film about the importance of saving the environment. ‘Shantam Papam’ is based on the rape culture prevailing in the society.

‘Smoke’ highlights how passive smoking is dangerous. ‘Water’ talks about the importance of water in one’s life. The director also tries to condemn alcoholism in this film.
The last one is a three-minute film called ‘Vaishnava Janato’, a political satire referring to the social and political issues of our country. In conversation with Surupasree Sarmmah, Anirudh talks about his inspiration, his famous father-in-law and more.

Where do you seek your inspiration from?

My biggest inspiration is my family. I have two legendary actors in the family and my wife, parents and kids have always encouraged me in whatever I do. Their love towards me and my profession inspires me every day. I am very passionate about cinema and have about 7,000 world movies with me. I keep watching and studying these films. Good work inspires me a lot.

As an actor, director and writer, how do you maintain your work-life balance?

When one is continuously busy, it is actually easy to manage life and work around the clock. Fortunately, I have a profession that I love. If this wasn’t the case, everything would have been a pressure.

Which is your favourite short film?

My favourite is ‘Vaisnava Janato’ which is a political satire. The reason why I screened it at the end was it should stay with people.

Were there any tips or tricks that your father-in-law, Vishnuvardhan, had shared with you that helped in your directorial debut?

He always told me that I should write and eventually start directing. I don’t know what he saw in me. As we used to discuss different movies together, he probably saw some kind of spark. He really pushed and encouraged me.

How did the concept of making short films without any dialogues germinate?

I give all credits to the Almighty because I didn’t plan for this day. I truly believe in him. Having said that, I am a theatre artiste and I like to have lengthy dialogues but at the same time, I have a love for silence. So I thought why not make a series of short films that don’t have an exchange of words but still convey the message appropriately.

Was there any comparison with your father-in-law?

People will always make that comparison but I believe that whatever I am doing, it is with his blessings. He is always there with me. I just concentrate on my work and leave the rest to the people.

Any advice to young directors?

Cinema is a collage of all arts. Watch as many movies as you can and study them at the same time. This generation is blessed because of the internet. You have access to world cinema at your fingertips. Reading books is equally important for an aspiring director. It opens up one’s senses.

What are your future plans?

I am acting in a movie called ‘Myra’, which will start rolling in October. There is also a documentary on my mother-in-law, Padmashree Awardee Dr Bharathi Vishnuvardhan. These apart, I have written two feature film scripts.