"Kerala State Chalachitra Academy has plans to start working on a dream project involving inmates of juvenile homes by the end of this year," says Ranjith, filmmaker and Academy chairman, in a chat with The Hindu on the sidelines of the regional International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) in Kochi on Saturday.
A film by and for inmates of juvenile homes
It is my dream project. The idea is to reach out to the inmates, both boys and girls, in these homes and make a movie by involving them right from the start to the end of the creative process. It will begin with a writer visiting a juvenile home to discuss stories told by the children. Then we could send a scriptwriter followed by a cinematographer, who would discuss the shot division with them. Once the film is ready, an editor will sit with the inmates to complete the process. The films will be shot inside the homes and the children will be acting in it. My plan is to see whether we could make five short films. I dream of a day when these works will be screened at national and international film fests. The initiative may bring out the creativity hidden among these children. It may be a turning point as the process could completely change their vision about life. A cinema is made through discussion and these children will be part of developing it. At each stage, we will send people to collaborate with them.
The conflict over OTT and theatre release
Over-the-top (OTT) platform is a reality that we cannot ignore anymore. Those movies requiring a theatrical experience will continue to be screened on the big screen. Producers who wish to make a move for the OTT platform will have the freedom to opt for it. Take the example of the Malayalam movie Home that had a digital release. We may not know how long it would have remained in theatres if it had opted for a theatrical release. An OTT release took the movie to a wider audience and earned the appreciation it deserved. We cannot blame theatre owners for not supporting the OTT ventures as they are running a business. Many had taken bank loans to renovate theatres. It is quite natural that they will opt for movies that could bring in maximum audience into the theatres.
Controversy over sharing stage with Dileep, political correctness
I have a feeling that the overwhelming success of the International Film Festival of Kerala held in Thiruvananthapuram would have come as a “disappointment” for some people. They could be sitting in the dark and trying to throw barbs at me. I have no intent to go behind these people and the issues they are trying to rake up against me. My focus is to work on the cultural perspective of the government and to come up with innovative ideas. The usage “political correctness” itself has turned into a cliche.
