'THE HINDU' ARTICLE ON "CONFESSIONS"

THE HINDU
Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Mar 21, 2007

Real into reel

Anish Kuruvilla is making a film based on his experience in the Telugu film industry

Anish Kuruvilla is known for his sharp analysis of the human mind and Telugu cinema. So when he has something new to say, people listen with rapt attention. A Malayali brought up in Hyderabad, Anish worked for over a decade in Hyderabad with filmmakers like Mani Sankar, Shekar Kammula and Nagesh Kukunoor. He is currently in news for making a film, Confessions of a filmmaker, based on his experience in the Telugu cinema industry.

Anish feels that the industry continues to unleash clichéd commercial films designed for stars keeping their image or iconic status in mind. "The clock has stopped somewhere, we can never make stories as long as stars demand that the film should revolve around them. These heroes play characters that make them get a better fan following. The producers, directors and all those connected with the film buckle under the system."

The audience has got used to mediocrity and has found comfort in familiarity, says Anish. "We have very little to be proud of as this is not a place for talented directors or those with a vision for good cinema. I want every educated person who values his time and money to analyse the film they watch and not be lazy to even react. We are watching these films because we have no choice."

Confessions of a filmmaker is not a campaign; it's a story of a director who is in the crossroads of his life and breaks down when the film he wants to make doesn't happen. He begins to look down and questions the system he has been with. He calls a cameraman to start shooting him because he thinks he has a lot to say and while he constructs a series of events, there begins a trip down the Telugu cinema industry. Anish says, "My vision is for a strong movement in the industry where people come forward because they have a story to tell and not because the star is waiting to become the hero of the story. We don't want icons. I don't want my son to grow up wanting to be a particular hero."

The movie is like any regular feature film - seventy percent has been shot in Telugu and the rest in English. It downplays the caste system and the star system around which the future of Telugu cinema revolves. So let's hope the censor clears the body of work, which is not only brutally honest but aims at inspiring young filmmakers to make a story for themselves. While his film might trigger controversies, it has so far sparked the thought process of many.

Y. SUNITA CHOWDHARY

http://www.hindu.com/mp/2007/03/21/stories/2007032100480100.htm