Sudheesh Kamath on ‘Culture Vulture’ and saying goodbye to indie

Sudheesh Kamath on 'Culture Vulture' and saying goodbye to indie

Sudheesh Kamath has presented an interesting image in Indian independent cinema. His conversational, self-referential films are rarely artistic events. Rather, he makes quick, quirky, low-budget films in the tradition of early mumblecores. Sudheesh, a former film critic, writes, directs and self-finances his films. But after more than a decade of doing it all hard alone, on the margins of an indifferent industry, he’s ready to hang up his boots.

Last year, Sudheesh announced his latest film – culture Vulture, a stoner comedy that satirizes the careless media and entertainment world – marking the last he would direct independently. His argument is straightforward and difficult to refute; He is financially and spiritually exhausted after years of self-producing his films.

“My work is done, man,” Sudheesh says clearly with finality. “I kept investing my money in films thinking that I was taking the art forward. I was living out of a suitcase to raise money for my last film. But then my friends told me, it has become almost like a gambling habit. I have to understand and draw the line.”

A scene from ‘Culture Vulture’

Play it again, Sam

culture VultureSudheesh’s last marijuana-infused film, initially planned as a direct sequel to his 2010 film. good night Good Morning, a black-and-white romance about two strangers who meet on New Year’s Eve. Together side a side b (2017), it completes her self-described ‘retro romance’ trilogy.

“We shot the old version of the film for three days and had already spent Rs 15 lakh on it. We decided to shut it down because nothing was going right on that project.” This was in December 2019; Once the pandemic struck, he lost his core crew, including his director of photography from South Africa. With restrictions on filming and no real budget, Sudheesh decided to ‘DIY’ the whole thing, investing in a modest shooting gear and handling the costumes, editing and visual effects himself.

He also worked extensively on the script, expanding the satirical scope. The suicide of Sushant Singh Rajput was followed by a frenzied smear campaign against Bollywood celebrities and allegations of drug use (during which, as the film tells, GDP fell and a group acquired a stake in a major airport. Did it).

The protagonist is Anav (Shaurya Tyagi) culture Vulture, is a stereotypically clueless Hindi film hero, an idiot with “no opinions” who falls into a media frenzy when he agrees to take a drug test during an interview. To complicate matters, the stubborn journalist, Ila (Rashi Mal), turns out to be his ex-girlfriend.

Sudheesh, nodding, describes the plot as ‘Stoner Casablanca’ permission (1987) and hero (2001). “One of my influences was the Woody Allen comedies Play it again, Sam (1972), in which he examines the Bogart tough guy image through a man in the 1970s. Here, I wanted to do the same with a modern Indian hero.

culture Vulture Reminiscent of the loose, free-associative style of X: The past is the present (2015), an experimental film Sudheesh co-directed with 10 other filmmakers. There’s a 25-minute runtime that unfolds like a bad journey, with the colors on the screen slowly blurring. a scanner darkly (2006). The cinematic references come thick and fast: Pineapple Express, Kuch Bhi Kahin, Metropolis, Rang De Basanti, what you say. There are quirky details that stand out: for example, the Shah Rukh Khan-sized Ganesh idol that Anav keeps with him, a goofy but touching symbol, as Sudheesh puts it, of the fraternity of Indian culture.

“The film is based on the day of immersion in Mumbai. It is the day of letting go. I came in contact with a sculptor (Sculptor) One who makes Ganesha idols. We got the prop made for Rs 10,000.”

A scene from 'Culture Vulture'

A scene from ‘Culture Vulture’

almost Famous

Cameron Crowe, one of Sudheesh’s personal heroes, makes a cameo via Zoom culture Vulture (Nagesh Kukunoor and Suchitra Pillai also have other cameos). Curiously, Crowe was given questions instead of a pre-written scene; The veteran American director himself wrote, humorously poking fun at the modern relevance of his famous jerry maguire Line: you complete me (“I got it from a Joni Mitchell song”).

“Crow very lovingly recorded the video and sent it to me. I was so excited that I didn’t have the courage to re-record it in 4k. The resolution, anyway, is exaggerated.

culture Vulture Takes a comedic look at the apathy and disorientation of the pandemic years. Sudheesh says he did not want to highlight the cost of media sensationalism during that difficult, tragic time.

“I didn’t want to add to it,” he explains. “That’s why I’ve avoided mentioning Sushant’s name or giving more credence to those conspiracy theories or mentioning the victims of those smear campaigns. ”

Its clearly anti-establishment tone – something of the Prime Minister’s ‘cloud cover’ comment on the Balakot air strikes – probably ensured that the film would never come to a streaming platform (a theatrical release was even more unimaginable ). Instead, Sudheesh is It is being released directly on YouTube on May 16 for a limited period, “I want this to be an appointment viewing experience. If it gets enough views throughout the week, I’ll consider bringing it back.

goodbye, my love

Professionally, Sudhish is in a better position than before. He wrote two episodes of The Family Man Season 3 (Krishna DK, half of the duo Raj and DK, came to the preview screening of culture Vulture and offered him the gig). He will continue to look for mainstream projects, offering a chance to expand his horizons while achieving some degree of financial security.

“Unlike the US, we never had a proper distribution channel in India for independent films. Streamers, too, are mostly going for big-star titles and thrillers.

he tried to get culture Vulture In festivals, there was very little profit. His guess is that perhaps it was too light-hearted for him. “The thing about making in-between films is that you get abandoned midway,” laughs Sudheesh.

Still, he looks back on his freelance career with a mixture of pride and relief. “Now it’s time to let me go,” he says, Anav with his SRK Ganesh on the day of immersion.

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