Firm believer of language that gels with cinema's setting:

Critically-acclaimed Malayalam director Shaji N. Karun says he believes in speaking in a language that is in sync with the backdrop of the film.

A filmmaker's ability lies in telling the story of the place that he knows, Shaji known for his films 'Piravi' (1988), 'Swaham' (1994), 'Vanaprastham' (1999) and 'Kutty Srank' (2009), said.

"I believe in speaking in the language that blends with the soil of the place. I believe in talking about a flower like Olu which you will only get in the region, my last film 'Olu' refers to and not to be found outside," the director told PTI Tuesday on the sidelines of the screening of 'Olu' at the 24th Kolkata International Film Festival here.

 

A reputed cinematographer, Shaji had won the National Award for Best Director for his debut film 'Piravi'. The same movie had won the Camra d'Or Mention d'honneur at the 1989 Cannes Film Festival.

Cinema as a medium should also surmount geographical boundaries and communicate in the language which is understood by the audience across the world, he said.

Asked about the reason behind his taking breaks between two films with 'Olu' hitting the screen this year after a sabbatical of four years, the director said, "For me it is not just a film. It is all about laying the layers of cinema.

"I need at least so many days to write down the layers in my cinema," he said.

His last movie was 'Swaapanam' which had Jayaram and Kadambari in lead roles.

When asked why M.J. Radhakrishnan wielded the camera in 'Olu' in his place, despite the director himself being a master cinematographer, Shaji said "at this age you should discover talents."

He said, good cinema flourishes in both West Bengal and Kerala, as the two states have great passion for art and culture.

Kerala and West Bengal share the passion and culture of promoting art and in both the states, a film like 'Pather Panchali' commands a good audience, Karun said.

For the veteran director, box office success matters less as the moot point is to reach out to a greater number of people and not being tagged by labels.