My short film Teaspoon is based on relationships; every day emotions that bubble and trouble. Except that in Teaspoon, these emotions blow up in way that leads to a disturbing end.
Your film shows how a woman is metaphorically trapped between the desires and responsibilities in her house. Comment.
My protagonist Kavita has resigned herself to the fact that she is stuck in a situation wherein the four walls of her home would be her life. But that doesn’t stop her from hoping that things would be different and maybe her husband could pull her out of the confines of this jail at least for a week end. She’s not a bad daughter-in-law; just a tired one.
The film also talks about the increasing uncaring attitude of children towards their own parents. What inspired this film?
I would say India is one country that still cares for its elderly. But yes, today’s generation would probably not have the patience nor the empathy to do what maybe our parents generation did. There have been several instances where a friends parent would sound exasperated about being house bound because maybe an ailing in-law or parent was at home, and that set me thinking. And I thought, often, it would be the care giver that would need more sympathy than the patient. Infact, when I was doing foley for the film, the technician said that he could totally empathise with Kavita and this situation must be playing in millions of homes in our country.
Like the film Teaspoon, do you believe that what goes around comes around? What does the sound you use ‘tak-tak-tak-tak’ sparingly in dialogues and design signify to you?
I firmly believe that what goes around comes around. But in Teaspoon, the end is delibrately amiguous. In the sense, I wanted people to actually wonder what she would do now. I have had people tell me that maybe she imagined the entire tak-tak-tak sound. That what she hears in the end, is her imagination at play. And then they themsleves dismiss it because they remind themselves there were indent marks of the teaspoon on the bed post! I loved this delibration; it meant this had gotten under their skin. Troubled them. And that’s what any form of art should so…shake you… shock you, or amuse you, get you angry…so you think…
I wanted the sound tak-tak-tak to stay with the audience long after the film is over; so they understand that for Kavita, who lives with the sound day in and day out, must be so frustrating that she even dreams about it.
Please talk about your journey of writing this film and eventually making it with your team.
The script I first finalised for my short film was an endearing film on a prostitute and her son, called Mera Happy wala Birthday.
But the duration of that script was over 50 minutes. It was becoming a long, short film, and I couldn’t edit out any of the scenes because I needed a build up for the climax. Also, it required a huge cast and economically it just stopped being viable. So I decided to keep the script aside and thought I’d turn it into a feature script some day and moved on to writing TEASPOON. I already had a basic graph in my head; I just needed to polish it.
You have worked in ad world for so many years before directing this short film. How did the experience ad making help? What are your aspirations as a filmmaker?
Advertising is a discipline, and I value what I learnt all these years. Besides I had a wonderful teacher; my husband Kiran Deohans, who is a brilliant DOP. What ever I may know of film-making is thanks to him. Advertising also teaches you to focus on the story. We have 30 seconds to tell a tale when we do commercials so we cannot have random shots merely because they look nice. I believe, if a scene doesn’t say anything about your character, or doesn't move the story forward, junk it.
As a film maker my ultimate goal is to of-course direct a Feature Film.
The film has won awards in film festivals and accolades from film industry. What is next you are working on?
I already have a couple of feature film scripts ready; just waiting for that elusive entity called ‘producer’!!!!
Please share tips for film-makers working on their first films.
Just go ahead and do it. Don’t ask a million people how the script is; you will get loads of advice that will only confuse you. If an idea appeals to you, just go… and shoot.
Aban Bhaucha Deohans, Thank you so much for making this movie! This is the story of millions of Indian women whose concerns, frustration and sacrifice no one wants to recognize under the pretext of our patriarchal society. Men get the ride the high morale horse while women are the victims inwardly. Ultimately, it becomes a lose-lose proposition for both men and women. Traditionally, I fee Hindi movies are made from male perspective. I applaud you for making this movie. It is important that women film makers tell stories from women's perspective. This will sensitize us to issues faced by other gender and hopefully initiate a dialog around these difficult topics. I will be happy to contribute to fund any more of similar content creation that you are planning to produce.
Aban Bhaucha Deohans, Thank you so much for making this movie! This is the story of millions of Indian women whose concerns, frustration and sacrifice no one wants to recognize under the pretext of our patriarchal society. Men get the ride the high morale horse while women are the victims inwardly. Ultimately, it becomes a lose-lose proposition for both men and women. Traditionally, I fee Hindi movies are made from male perspective. I applaud you for making this movie. It is important that women film makers tell stories from women's perspective. This will sensitize us to issues faced by other gender and hopefully initiate a dialog around these difficult topics. I will be happy to contribute to fund any more of similar content creation that you are planning to produce.
ReplyDeleteRegards
Anu