Filmmaker
Hemanth M. Rao might be only two films old but one can already spot his distinct gaze towards storytelling. Be it through his debut outing '
Godhi Banna Sadharana Mykattu
', a film that channeled one of
Anant Nag's best performances to date, or the moody and gritty '
Kavaludaari
' which boldly embraces the film noir grammar, Hemanth has already made a niche for himself in the industry.
In this exclusive video chat with ETimes Kannada for the special series called '
A Film That Changed My Life
', he dishes on how his filmmaking perspective shaped over the years, his love for the French New Wave movement, along with a few valuable film recommendations for aspiring filmmakers. Excerpts:
1. Would you categorize yourself as a cinephile? Someone who feasts on new discoveries and rare finds...Oh yes, absolutely. I ventured into filmmaking quite late, and it might have taken me a while to realize its potential as a mode of self-expression, but it would be safe to say today that I am a bonafide cinephile. I began exploring world cinema quite early on and it was during these "downloading films" days, which are pre-OTT basically, that I discovered my own love for cinema of all kinds.
2. Are you someone who binges on OTT stuff? Not really because I feel it doesn't allow me to savor the finer details of performance, writing, or filmmaking in general - it's quite overwhelming for me. So, my wife and I have a pact, so to speak, that whenever we watch a show together, I would want to watch not more than an episode or two in one go!
3. And while you're making something yourself, are you conscious of what you watch? Is there a fear of getting carried away?Yes but I don't do it with a fear of getting too influenced or carried away by another film. It's mainly got to do with me wanting to be in the space and sanctity of my own story and other films or stories may end up distracting you when you are conceiving something on your own. See, as far as visual influence is concerned, I personally feel that it is bound to happen subconsciously and there isn't a concept of "original filmmaking" - simply because there is a reference point for everything today. There are filmmakers, however, who blatantly copy an idea and put their name against it - I think it's a very thin line between seeking inspiration and lifting something. I try to be conscious of that personally and every time I realize that I have conceived a scene almost exactly like another filmmaker did, I make it a point to change.
4. Coming to the main topic in hand - what would that one film be in your case that potentially changed your life?The answer to this question will pertain to a phase of my life during which I had a bit of an identity crisis myself. I took up engineering but wasn't good at academics so it took me a while to realize that filmmaking would be what I could be good at. And around this time, I chanced upon a Francois Truffaut retrospective at the Suchitra Film Society in Bengaluru where, during the first screening, there were about eight people and most of them old! But the film on the day was Truffaut's debut feature 'The 400 Blows' and I don't know what exactly about the film worked for me but I was blown away by it - the performances, the style, etc. - and I was pleasantly surprised that films could be made like this too. I was hooked to the French New Wave soon after and I went back to the next day's screening, only to find out that Truffaut had made a series of films with the character in 'The 400 Blows'. His films and those of Godard became my staple after that.
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You can watch the detailed video interview with Hemanth M. Rao which was recorded recently as part of the 'A Film That Changed My Life' series by ETimes Kannada. Hemanth discusses his other influences, about adapting western sensibilities into local cinema, and also gives away valuable film recommendations to aspiring filmmakers. You can watch the interview here:
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