The Score Magazine - Archive February 2009 issue! | Page 11

cinema

09 te

It isn’ t quite uncommon for filmmakers to tread the road less traveled as far as mainstream Tamil cinema is concerned; directors’ being the creative sorts they usually are. It does come as a refreshing change, though, when these off-beat offerings carry the conviction of commercial success and not merely the markings of an artistic product that may occasion critical acclaim; a conviction beginning with the cast and crew for starters. A conviction that stems from the toil and tales of Anita Udeep, who is amongst the few accomplished female multi-taskers in the filmmaking fraternity, at present. Almost half a year ago, publicity material featuring a youthful bunch attired in classic hip-hop garb, essaying various poses began to flood the media, with a single explanatory tag of‘ Kulir 100’ and the fact that it was an Anita Udeep movie splashed across them. Not many made much sense of the weird title nor link it to the vibrantly colourful visuals accompanying them. Only chance spotting by a detail-savvy acquaintance enlightened me of the tiny superscript circle representing temperature. Kulir 100 degrees it now read. Demystifying the intrepid title and the movie behind it should have been a snip after a chat with Anita, who is going beyond the ominous trinity of story-screenplay-direction and producing the movie herself. No mean task for someone who hasn’ t really explored this aspect of commercial Indian cinema.“ It took three years to understand this industry especially when you study abroad and come back, it all seems completely different. To get the hang of the society, crew and technicians was quite a deal, really”, she reflects. Essentially there is a world of difference between youthful movies and youth-centric movies. So what can compel a person to foray down a path where‘ Five Star’ floundered and‘ Boys’ drew loads of flak and attempt a story that isn’ t quite universal in terms of appeal?“ It is a subject I’ ve always wanted to explore. I wanted to learn from the process and not make a film I already knew about, or something I had done.” Evident, from her earlier choice of subjects ranging from‘ Gulliver’ s Travels’ to‘ Knock, Knock …’ So getting straight to it, we did venture queries about the nature of the plot and the basics of her movie, something