Movie'ing mission

A filmmaker dwells in his own madness, sometimes knowing very well that the medium he works with has the potential to re-decorate the entire world. Sadly, most filmmakers today seldom step outside the boundaries of the secluded world of mainstream film industry. They wouldn’t dare mess with the equation. But Sandeep Mohan looked at films differently. He decided to experiment with both the medium and its audience and this thought gave birth to ‘The Great Indian Travelling Cinema.’

What puts Sandeep in a league of his own is that he decided to single-handedly take his cinema to the audience. To present it to the public the way they want it. His films were not backed by the pomp and grandeur of mainstream commercial films. And so he packed up a projector and travelled across places to screen his movies in alternative screening spaces.

Talking about his roots, he shares, “I am from Thiruvananthapuram but I left the place years ago.” About his journey towards cinema, he says, “I am 42 now; my journey with cinema began 21 years ago. I went to Mumbai first, did a few programmes for a channel and assisted Sanjay Leela Bhansali in Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam. By 23, I got tired of Mumbai, moved to Bengaluru and did some odd jobs; worked as a copywriter for a few years. I used to write scripts as well and by the time I was 28, the film bug came bit  me again, so I returned to Mumbai. I started writing for a couple of people as well as TV shows. I went independent after that. I figured, I should think independently if I needed creative control.”  

He, then, ventured into his first film — Love, Wrinkle Free — shot in 2010 and released in 2012. “It was a crowd-funded project and had a small theatrical release in India. It was made on a shoestring budget but I learnt a lot from it.” His next project was Hola Venky, released online in 2014. “That journey was all about figuring out everything on my own, including finishing the movie on a small budget with a crew of three.”

Sandeep’s Love, Wrinkle Free was slapped with an A-certificate. He says, “Maybe because of the humour, I don’t know! But with Hola Venky, I did not want to go after a certification nor film fests. So I thought, what to do? Can I not do those things that we normally do with an independent film and still survive? That’s when the concept of ‘The Great Indian Travelling Cinema’ took birth. I got projectors and found a few alternative screening space like cafes, art galleries, pubs and even homes. And for the tickets — people could pay as they’d wish, if you don’t like it, you don’t have to pay, no compulsion.” Hola Venky got 92 screenings including the ones in the US and Singapore.

With Shreelancer, Sandeep is thinking of getting a CBFC certificate and have a limited theatrical release. Besides that, he is also plans to go online through Netflix and Amazon.

His first two films were humour-based whereas Shreelancer is drama-based coupled with a bit of light-heartedness. “It’s fun to see reactions first-hand, most of the time, I sit with people (while they are watching). I also love travelling. So from a writer’s point of view, all this (screenings, etc.) help me a great deal. Money-wise, it’s nothing big but we do click (showcase). I tell them ‘you are paying for my tickets to take this (movie) to other places (next destinations)’.”

Lastly, he clarifies, “I am not against any theatrical distribution system, my way is just another way to reach out the audience.”  

Sandeep will be going to Kochi on Sunday to screen his film Shreelancer at Car n’ Cafe, Kakkanad.