THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Here is a quick chat with filmmaker Tara Ramanujan, known best for Nishiddho (Forbidden), featuring Kani Kusruti and Tanmay Dhanania in lead roles.
The critically acclaimed film, which made it to several international film fests, was produced by the Kerala State Film Development Corporation and won the Kerala State Film Award for Second Best Film in 2022.
Tara bagged awards at the Ottawa Indian Film Festival and International Film Festival of Kerala as well. Next, she’s planning an adventure thriller.
Excerpts
Could you share your journey into the world of cinema?
It was quite accidental. While wandering through life, I took an unexpected turn and found myself here. Whether it was the right turn or the wrong one, I can’t say, as I wasn’t aiming for a specific destination. My path has always been more of a deviation than a planned route.
I have had jobs, but never a defined career. Much like the poem (The Road Not Taken), I took a path less travelled. It has certainly been interesting. This path suits me for now.
Nishiddho was part of the KSFDC project. How was that experience?
Making Nishiddho was an invaluable learning experience — not just about filmmaking, but about dealing with people and understanding myself better. It wasn’t designed as a mass entertainer. Interacting with festival audiences, I got the sense that it made viewers reflect on a few things. That’s good enough for me.
How did the Bengal link in the story come about?
I have family in Kolkata and visit them whenever I can. My first connections to Bengal were through Malayalam translations of Bengali novels and films. I remember reading Prathama Pratisruti by Ashapoorna Devi when it was serialised in a vernacular daily. Even today, Kolkata’s hand-pulled carts, trams, green louvred doors, and old bungalows remind me of those stories and characters. And Kolkata during Puja is electric — the murtis, the pandals, the crowd, the music — everything is alive with energy. Nishiddho was born there, during Puja.
What’s your take on the current trends in Malayalam cinema?
Malayalam films have always been content-driven. I prefer thoughtful entertainment over mindless escapism. Our tastes, exposure, expectations, and viewing habits have evolved.
The variety available now means that everyone can choose what they want to watch, and that’s good.
Women characters for the sake of having one — the usual romantic interest, damsel in distress, or the evil ‘other’ woman — remain a standard. We need more strong, credible characters, be it ‘positive’ or ‘negative’.
What next? What types of stories do you aspire to tell through your films?
I am currently working on an adventure thriller. I enjoy watching most genres, except for sci-fi, with a particular fondness for suspense thrillers, dramas, and old westerns. My goal is to tell engaging stories with realistic plots and interesting characters.