‘Films are an extension of theatre’
4 Aug 2012 12:35 AM GMT
Manav Kaul wears many hats. A poet, playwright, director and actor. Born in Baramullah, Kashmir, Kaul started the theatre group Aranya in 2004 and since then has been active in the Mumbai and Delhi theatre circuits.
Manav has directed plays like Shakkar ke Paanch Daane, Peele Scooterwala Aadmi, Bali Aur Shambhu, Ilhaam and Aisa Kehte Hain. He has also designed, adapted and directed Hakki Haarutide Nodidira [a Kannada play] and Aantaheen [based on Jean Paul Sartre’s work].
After his stint with the proscenium, Kaul is now into films. His debut film Hansa was screened at Osian this year.
The story revolves around Cheeku, a girl of seventeen, and her younger brother Hansa, who live in a mystical village in Kumaon. Their father has been missing for almost a year and their house and lives are under serious threat.
So how has the experience of moving from theatre to motion films been? ‘It’s just like an extension of theatre. Films as story telling medium has a wide reach. I am lucky that Osian gave me a platform to showcase my work,’ says Manav.
But making Hansa was not easy since money was scarce. ‘Hansa is a low budget movie and while post production required a good amount of money, I had to literally beg and plead friends and acquaintances for finance. Hansa took almost a year and a half to finish and am thankful to everyone involved,’ says Manav.
Manav never fears experiment. ‘I like small things and bringing them back to life. The film is close to me as I have lived in the mountains and I wanted to capture the picturesque beauty of the place,’ he concluded.
Manav has directed plays like Shakkar ke Paanch Daane, Peele Scooterwala Aadmi, Bali Aur Shambhu, Ilhaam and Aisa Kehte Hain. He has also designed, adapted and directed Hakki Haarutide Nodidira [a Kannada play] and Aantaheen [based on Jean Paul Sartre’s work].
After his stint with the proscenium, Kaul is now into films. His debut film Hansa was screened at Osian this year.
The story revolves around Cheeku, a girl of seventeen, and her younger brother Hansa, who live in a mystical village in Kumaon. Their father has been missing for almost a year and their house and lives are under serious threat.
So how has the experience of moving from theatre to motion films been? ‘It’s just like an extension of theatre. Films as story telling medium has a wide reach. I am lucky that Osian gave me a platform to showcase my work,’ says Manav.
But making Hansa was not easy since money was scarce. ‘Hansa is a low budget movie and while post production required a good amount of money, I had to literally beg and plead friends and acquaintances for finance. Hansa took almost a year and a half to finish and am thankful to everyone involved,’ says Manav.
Manav never fears experiment. ‘I like small things and bringing them back to life. The film is close to me as I have lived in the mountains and I wanted to capture the picturesque beauty of the place,’ he concluded.
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