Technique not an integral part of film plot: Sathyu

MANGALORE: Technology should not overpower any film. People dabbling in filmmaking should understand technology and use it and not otherwise, opined eminent film director M S Sathyu. A film director is only a storyteller and a film should tell a story. Technique is not very important for that story to be told. "These are some of the things kept in mind while making 'Ijjodu', my directorial venture after a gap of 12-years," he added.
Interacting with the media here on Thursday, Sathyu said the advent of modern television is seeing a lot of 'quick cutting' in editing.A viewer is not able to judge what he sees, Sathyu said adding that this has been done away in
'Ijjodu', a 90-minute Kannada film starring Aniruddha Jatkar and Meera Jasmine. The scenes in this film linger, enabling one to capture the emotions of the actors and at the same time providing continuous narrative.
No takers for my films
On his 12-year-hiatus from cinema, Sathyu candidly said that he did not find producers willing to invest in his projects, and that he does not have 'enough money' to start one on his own. Terming this wait as worthwhile, Sathyu said 'Ijjodu', which deals with the 'Devadasi' system is a different one even though coming from his directorial tables, and a different film from all that he has directed and one with a social cause.
"I am feeling as young I was," Sathyu said to underscore that this hiatus in no way has dented his film making skills. A filmmaker does not forget the grammar of cinema making even after a seemingly long gap. Sathyu admitted that he was a bit apprehensive initially but things came back to him once he was on the floor.
Known for films such as 'Bara', and 'Garam Hawa', Sathyu opined that the quality of recent actors is a "bit loud" for his liking. Actors tend to overdo things, and there is too much melodrama. The emotions are not real and contrived at best, Sathyu said adding that any actor has to be within himself/herself. It pays to be natural and acting is at its best only when actors learn to understand this basic fact of acting, Sathyu noted.
On his next directorial venture, Sathyu said it is based on the life of a Hindustani/Carnatic musician of repute and closely follows his life across Benares, Allahabad, Kolkata, Mumbai and Mysore. The film should hit the theatres by the end of this year, or early next year, he said. Actor Aniruddha, cameraman G S Bhaskar, and lyricist Sudheer Raj were present.