Interview with film maker Sachin Kundalkar on his just-released Marathi movie Pondicherry
In conversation with national-award winning director Sachin Kundalkar, Silpa KP learns about the making of his new film ‘Pondicherry’ shot entirely on a smartphone and how it has won the hearts of thousands of Maharashtrians. We first interviewed Kundalkar when he was filming ‘Pondicherry’ in February 2019 and later in March 2022 after the film’s release.
In the last decade, Pondicherry has become a sought-after paradise for film makers- mostly Tamil, occasionally other regional cinema/ Bollywood, and of course the much-talked about Oscar winner ‘Life of Pi’. Most filmmakers, allured by the striking Franco-Indian architecture and the beauty of the Promenade, use Pondicherry’s scenic frames to advantage, while the city itself has little or no part in the story.
But it not just the many shades of bougainvillea or straight streets of the boulevard (though they appear to glorious effect in the trailer) that has inspired the Marathi movie Pondicherry ! It is also the pace and rhythm of life here and Pondicherry itself.
Sachin Kundalkar’s Pondicherry’ is a travel/ vacation film that tells the story of a young Marathi woman who runs a home stay in Pondy and doubles up as a tour guide. The narrative of the film explores the complexity of human relationships and emotions, while placing the town of Pondicherry as a strong fourth character in a film with three solid leads.
Showcasing a Pondicherry of many languages and cultures
Kundalkar’s love for Pondicherry also springs from his affinity for French culture, art and literature. “I do speak French. There is no other place in India where you can meet French people just around the corner.” Shooting wrapped up in February 2019 and three years later, Kundalkar finds himself in Pondicherry for multiple screenings sponsored by Puducherry Tourism that is thrilled the film has convinced Maharashtrian viewers Pondy is definitely worth a vacation !
“The most common feedback I’m getting from the audience in Maharashtra is that the next thing they want to do is pack their bags and go to Pondicherry. They loved the city, the food that they see in the film, and they are fascinated by the multilingual aspect. People are captivated by how Nikita’s (Sai Tamhankar) character, a Maharashtrian woman married to a Tamil man, fluently switches from Tamil to Marathi to French, and then back to Marathi and English in many scenes,” he adds ‘Pondicherry’ is not only a Marathi film, but an Indian film because it brings a lot of cultures together.
One of the aspects that seems to have caught the imagination of the audience is the wide variety of food that has been featured in the film. “It is funny how much Indians love food. The entire montage of food has got people asking if we do get all these wonderful dishes in Pondicherry.”
Shooting locations in Pondicherry
The predominant shooting locations are situated in the French quarter. The trailer of the Marathi movie Pondicherry rolls out beaches, cafes, guesthouses, churches and cycle tours- even shots of Masi Magam- one after the other.
Critics would and have argued this is a tourist version of Pondicherry but Kundalkar defends that the setting simply serves the story of the film. “There is no scheme or strategy to locate the film in one particular part of the town. Also, in my mind, as a maker, there are no two parts of Pondicherry. If there are, they are certainly not at war with each other.”
Another noteworthy feature is the film uses Pondy’s myriad wall art as backdrop for its scenes. The set designers got permission from the government as well as private owners to create 10 new paintings to further enhance Pondy’s pre-existing wall art culture in the film! Visual artist Tejas Modak, who has co-written the film, is the man behind all the artwork that in 2019 had Pondicherrians guessing. For Modak who had worked mostly on paper and computers, the opportunity to take his art to a wider canvas was exciting.” What better way to contribute to the landscape of Pondicherry,” he said explaining the paintings reflected his personal impressions of Pondicherry.
Shooting on a smartphone in harsh Pondicherry sunlight
Another compelling fact is ‘Pondicherry’ is the very first Marathi film to be shot entirely on a smartphone , a feat that Kundalkar attributes to the efforts of Milind Jog, the Director of Photography and the brilliance of technicians involved in post production.
“Pondichery sunlight is tropical, harsh light and extremely unfriendly to just take out our phones and shoot -without any gadgets or extra lighting. The reason the film looks so soothing and exciting is because Milind has done extensive research on the post-production of scenes shot on an iPhone in Pondicherry’s natural lighting.”
Kundalkar feels it is apt that ‘Pondicherry’ has been shot on a smartphone.
“It is not because we didn’t have the budget- we have great mainstream Marathi actors as part of the film. The reason we shot on an iPhone is because we wanted to capture Pondicherry’s natural flow. I wanted to dissolve the camera, the paraphernalia and hundreds of people who create chaos on the set. I wanted to create the scenes in the town of Pondicherry where nobody recognises the shooting happening and the town goes on quietly in the background.”
The music by Debarpito Saha in the film also deserves special mention for maintaining this natural flow.
Kundalkar told us he was eager to find out the reaction of Pondicherrians. “I am extremely glad that the people will be able to watch the subtitled print in Pondicherry itself. And that’s where, I believe, the circle gets completed.” He is also hoping that the film gets a theatrical release in Pondicherry, depending on the response at the screenings
” I really love being in Pondicherry and I want more and more people to experience the energy that the town offers.”
‘Marathi movie Pondicherry written by Sachin Kundalkar and Tejas Modak stars Sai Tamhankar, Vaibhav Tatwawadi, Amruta Kanvilkar, Neena Kulkarni. The distribution partner- Planet Marathi– has also released the film on its regional OTT platform of the same name.
