When I came to cinema, things had somewhat changed. This was largely due to the political changes brought in by Dalit assertion, and also because the films we made were true and resonant in a way that could not be refuted. So, we had an audience, comprising critical-minded Dalit youth and those from non-Dalit communities who were committed to an anti-caste world view. The problem was that producers and distributors did not think that this emergent new audience could guarantee commercial success.
I would like to narrate here an incident that unfolded when I was filming my first venture, Attakathi. This was a film about teenage love. On the surface, it appears a comedy, but its background, that is the social context it features, has to do with Dalit lives and realities, and I had written the script in that manner. When I was looking to interest a producer in my story, I met one who was taken with it, and he agreed to support the film. We signed a contract and started filming with a totally new cast and technicians. For a while, things went smoothly, until the day when the crew was getting ready to shoot the protagonist's 'entry' scene. The art director Ramalingam had got the hero's home ready and in place.
Source: Life Style
0 COMMENTS
