Ranjith Sankar is all smiles and has all the reasons to feel elated. His maiden venture as writer-director, Passenger, has become the flavour of the season. The film, with Dileep, Sreenivasan and Mamta Mohandas in the lead, is an edge-of-the-seat thriller.
Ranjith, a software engineer by profession, says he hasn't approached cinema as a full time job. Cool and friendly, the writer-director is relieved that his film got appreciation from all the quarters. In an exclusive interview with sify.com, Ranjith talks about Passenger and more. Excerpts:
How did life change for you after the release of Passenger?
(Smiles) It has been the same routine for me on a personal level. But yes, my mobile got really busy with calls from the industry insiders to rank strangers.
Is it tough to be a debutant director in the current scheme of things?
Well, it's a difficult question, but I feel the statement is true to a great extent. It's a business involving mega bucks and quite obviously, people are careful about choosing a project. Still, it has been pretty easy for me and I have received enormous support and encouragement from a lot of people in the industry.
You had some of the big names in the business in your debut movie. Do you feel lucky?
Absolutely. I would say I was plain lucky. Here was one of the most talented men in the business like Sreenivasan, who not just agreed to be part of my film; he got a producer for me as well. Frankly, I am not sure if my film would have got such acceptance in the absence of this star cast.
How different it would have been if Passenger was not your debut film?
It's a hypothetical question but I think you are asking me about the compromises that I would have made as a newcomer. Let me tell you that I haven't compromised on anything though Passenger was my first film. May be it would have been one advantage that I was employed and was not desperate, like for instance, a full timer.
From your experience, how does a storyline qualifies to be developed as a viable script?
I have written and made the kind of film that I would have liked to watch in a theatre. We have to be clear about our plans and convinced about the value of our subject. I have worked on this script for the past 4-5 years. I think the industry will acknowledge your honesty
|
