I have a strong connection with the story of Siliconn City: Murali Gurappa

After over two decades in advertising and as an editor, Murali Gurappa is all set for the release of his directorial debut,

Siliconn City

. The director bats for realism and has gone great lengths to ensure that it is captured in his film. Ahead of the release of the

film

on Friday, he spoke to us about challenges of shooting the film, the innovations he employed, his filmi family and why he is an asset to the producer…

Siliconn City is the remake of the Tamil film Metro. Were you also apprehensive doing a remake?

None. I was confident about the film because I liked the subject. The story in the movie inspired me; it is about a middle-class family. I am also from a middle-class family and have experienced a few aspects that you see in the film. So, I have a strong connect with the story.

Were you looking for anything specific in your debut film?

As a director, I wanted to make a film that connects with people — one they can understand and which has a message for the society. Siliconn City has all that and I hope that I have done justice to the film.

You have employed different techniques to shoot this film…

The camera was not put on a stand for the entire film. I wanted everything to be shot on either the shoulder or on a handle. For this reason, we got equipment called

Gimbal

and Arri Alexa Mini, which are hand-held. The Mini is very compact and can be placed anywhere, which helped us get unique shots.

About 40% of the film is shot at night. Was that a challenge?

Absolutely. Before we started, I was sure of one thing — that everything in the film would be realistic and raw. This included the location, which meant that I wanted it to be as is; I had decided not to change anything and make it look good for the film. But it was a challenge to shoot at night. We were shooting with the support of streetlights, so, once, at 2.30 am on an outdoor shoot there was a power outage. We waiting till 5 am for the power to return, but had to pack-up after the sun rose. We always used to keep our fingers crossed that the power doesn’t go and that there was sufficient light where we were.

That would have made scouting for location also a challenge…

Yes, because with every road that we picked, we had to ensure that there was enough streetlights. Also, since we were shooting late at night, we did not want disturb people. But at the same time, we wanted houses in the background. All this made things a little challenging.

You were shooting with a young team. What was the experience like?

The atmosphere on the set was such that there wasn’t a single day when someone said they were not interested to work. Everyone was eager to get on set. We enjoyed shooting and became a family. In fact, after we wrapped up shoot, we missed each other for a week. Even though it was my first film, everyone respected my position as a director. It was an awesome first experience as a director.

How much did being an editor help while directing?

It helped me a lot. For e.g., I have footage of only 4.5 hours, including songs; I shot only what was required. Being an editor, I knew when I would need to call cut and ask for the next shot. So, I saved a lot of time and effort. I am an asset to the producer since I saved him a lot of money (laughs). But I did not want to edit Siliconn City, since as a director, I have shot the film in a certain way, and I wanted the editor to have bring in his own perspective.

What’s next?

I love action films, but if a story is good, I would want to direct it, even if it is family entertainer packed with drama. I will never restrict myself. But, as of now, I am only waiting for June 16 (the day Siliconn City releases). My mind’s stopped working as I am pre-occupied with the release (laughs).