International Film Festival of Kerala to spotlight four Malayalam women directors

Indu Lakshmi’s first film, Nila, released last year, was produced by the Kerala State Film Development Corporation (KSFDC) as part of the initiative for films directed by women. She faced significant challenges during the production, as she encountered ‘institutional harassment’ by the KSFDC and chairman Shaji N Karun, which sparked controversy. With her second film being selected for the international competition, this seems to serve as a strong vindication for her “fight” to create quality films. Interestingly, the other director who raised her voice against the KSFDC, Mini IG, is also part of this project, this time as the lead actor.

Debut films get pride of place

“We are thrilled that our movie has been selected for the international section of the IFFK. We chose to keep the film under wraps even among our close circles because we wanted to maintain discretion throughout the process. I didn’t even disclose the title of the movie, and those who worked with us only found out after its selection. I was particularly concerned due to the damage caused by my previous work,” Lakshmi told The Federal. “I am especially happy about IFFK because Trivandrum is my hometown, and I have always felt the energy and emotions of this festival. Having my own film screened at IFFK has been a distant dream for me, and it feels amazing to see it come true,” said the engineer-turned-director. 

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“This selection serves as a reassurance to myself that it doesn’t matter who threatens you or what system opposes you. As long as we pursue the truth and follow our hearts, everything else will fall into place. You don’t have to compromise on your dreams for anyone — not for the system or for those in power — as long as there is truth in storytelling, it should connect with the people,” added Indu. 

On the other hand, J. Sivaranjini, a PhD scholar in the design department at IIT Mumbai, also produced her film as part of the government project. However, she experienced fewer interventions from the corporation, aside from typical bureaucratic issues like delays in funding and paperwork. “There have been challenges, such as delays in receiving funds, which is typical when dealing with government institutions. It’s the same here. There are also struggles in working within a system like this. I feel the system still has room for improvement, although it has evolved over time.”

Sivaranjini, another engineer like Indu who has completed her postgraduate studies at the National Institute of Design (NID), believes that making films as a woman comes with additional challenges. She feels that women have to be guarded at every step of the process, facing obstacles that their male counterparts do not encounter. “I feel immense joy knowing that along with my film, three other films by women will also be screened at IFFK. During my studies, I had shown short films at IDSFFK. Since I wasn’t mentally prepared to make a feature film, I enrolled for a PhD. That’s when I learned about the government project. I applied with just a one-line idea in mind. The shoot was completed last year. I have seen the difficulties my friends faced dealing with producers while making films,” Sivaranjini told The Federal. 

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“Victoria is a film that narrates the events of a day at a beauty parlour. The main character, Victoria, is a beautician. The cast consists of a few women from the Angamaly area, with no male actors. The only male ‘character’ is a rooster offered as a vow at the Edappally church. Screening the film at the IFFK seems like a positive move. It feels like this year’s festival is giving priority to debut works, as many films on the list are by first-time filmmakers,” she added. 

Women portrayed through their own eyes

Adithya Baby is currently a student pursuing her master’s in performing arts at the University of Pondicherry. Her previous work as an actor, Sarathkumar V.’s Neelamudi (Blue Hair), was also showcased at IFFK last year. “It’s because of a great team that we’ve been able to reach a platform like this. I first came to the School of Drama of the University of Calicut (where she did her degree in theatre) with a passion for cinema. That’s how conversations about filmmaking started with the team. This led to the creation of Neelamudi, and now Kamadevan Nakshathram Kandu. Financial difficulties have been our biggest challenge. Even though we had creative people and ideas, we struggled with funding. Marketing is another major hurdle. Platforms like IFFK are crucial for people like us to showcase our work. The lack of such platforms is a significant issue,” said Adithya Baby. Speaking about Kamadevan Nakshathram Kandu, she explained, “The film follows the journey of two hypersexual young men, exploring their perspectives, present realities, and worldviews. The story progresses when a female character enters their lives. 

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Shobhana Padinjhattil, the state librarian working at state central library of Kerala in Thiruvananthapuram, has had a passion for film since her college days, but she pursued this dream nearly 25 years later. “In Girl Friends, I am talking about women — about myself and the women around me. There is a difference when women are portrayed through their own eyes, rather than from a male perspective. I’ve tried to bring out that difference. The film focuses on women who talk openly about their bodies and experiences. These women have their own individuality, distinct from those who conform to social expectations of how they should live and behave. We live in a society that is beginning to accept diverse forms of sexuality, and I wanted to reflect that in the film as well,” said Shobhana.

Interestingly, all these films, except for Victoria, are self-produced by the directors, along with their friends and family. Indu Lakshmi’s film is co-produced by her father, Ravi Sreedhar, while Adithya’s film is produced by the family members of her lead actor and cinematographer. Shobhana’s film is also self-produced. This approach allows them additional room for experimentation and creative expression without barriers, although it can be challenging.