I was a banker in Sydney: Anand Maiyur Srinivas

Anand Maiyur Srinivas, a Tamilian filmmaker based out of Sydney, opens up about his debut feature Mithivedi...
Seeds of filmmaking I was working as a banker in Sydney when one day I decided that I should become a storyteller instead. I was so fascinated by the human condition. I felt I could express myself better through storytelling in the visual medium.The arduous journey took eight years. Fortunately, my family and close friends helped me avoid the abyss wannabes are sucked into.
Perfecting the process It took me five years to learn about scriptwriting and filmmaking in a professional manner. I attended many screenwriting courses, workshops and seminars in Sydney and Melbourne. I didn���t want to fall into the trap of ���being inspired��� by other���s works. So, I learned from script and story gurus like Robert Mckee, John Truby and Chris Huntley. I made three short films before venturing into feature films.
Role models in film Coppola���s Apocalypse Now and Kubrick���s 2001: A Space Odyssey were the two films that started it all. I also love the films directed by Scorsese, the Coen Brothers, Polanski and Eastwood. The one film I���d like to remake in English is K. Viswanath���s Salangai Oli.
Choice of subject I was very affected by a statement made by Kofi Annan once. He said that landmines are the most destructive weapons because they kill or maim innocent civilians long after the war is all over. When I read an article about landmines in Sri Lanka, and found that nobody has made a film about its devastating effects on the civilians, I took it upon myself to make a film about it and bring it to the world���s attention. That���s how my film Mithivedi was born.
Fingers crossed The feedback is quite encouraging. Our trailer garnered 150,000 views in two months. Now, we���re broadcasting our songs on FM Radio in Europe and Canada. My film will be released in Europe and Canada on April 20. We plan to bring the film to India next month.
As told to Bijoy Bharathan