Sunday brought rain to Thiruvananthapuram, draping the city in grey. Inside Nila Theatre, ‘Kochu Lokavum Kunju Manushyarum’ seemed to share the melancholy of the day. The film’s world of human relationships, with all their intimacy, conflict and pain, carried a poignancy that was hard to put into words.
For Ritwik Baiju, ‘Kochu Lokavum Kunju Manushyarum’ is a long-cherished dream finally finding its way to the silver screen. He began as an assistant director on ‘Ritu’ and went on to work on films such as ‘Pattom Pole’, ‘Action Hero Biju’, ‘Nonsense’, ‘Oru Njayarazhcha and ‘Kasiminte Kadal’.
His own directorial work includes the short films ‘Rope’, ‘Chilappol Chilar’ and ‘Pakalukalude Rani’, while his documentary ‘Jeevanulla Swapnangal’ won a Kerala State Television Award.
With ‘Kochu Lokavum Kunju Manushyarum’, he takes his first step into independent feature filmmaking, backed by a handful of friends who pooled their resources through crowdfunding. In a chat with TNIE, Ritwik talks about the making of the film and his pursuit of meaningful cinema.
How did the idea for this feature film come about?
The idea came from my own experiences and the people I have observed. I wanted to explore human emotions, death and grief. The film revolves around a mother and two children. After the sudden death of her sister, Kavitha brings her five-year-old niece Ammu, who is unwell, into her home and takes on the role of her mother. But this brings its own challenges, as Kavitha’s son Appu begins to feel insecure about sharing his mother’s love and attention. Through the small conflicts that arise within this family, the film explores how each of them experiences and responds to grief and change.
Your award-winning documentary ‘Jeevanulla Swapnangal’ was also based on someone you knew personally. How important is that personal connection to the stories you choose to tell?
Human connection is something I always look for in a story to tell. I believe any art form can truly resonate with people when it carries that genuine emotional connection. Several viewers have told me that ‘Kochu Lokavum Kunju Manushyarum’ held them emotionally throughout, and that is what I hope to achieve through my films.
Having worked across mainstream cinema, independent films, documentaries and short films, what has each experience taught you, and where do you feel most at home as a filmmaker?
Both are very different. Commercial cinema places a lot of emphasis on holding the audience’s attention, and the budgets and scale of production are also on a different level. When I began working on ‘Kochu Lokavum Kunju Manushyarum’, I knew it was a film suited to the festival circuit, so I approached it with that in mind.
I feel commercial cinema offers more flexibility in terms of time, something independent cinema often lacks. But both serve different purposes, and both are important to me because, ultimately, my goal is to make good cinema. I also feel that working on independent films gives me the confidence to execute a commercial film.
Have you ever felt that independent cinema struggles to find an audience?
Keralam has always had an audience for independent cinema, as seen in the case of films of John Abraham and Adoor Gopalakrishnan.
However, people today often go to theatres in their free time primarily for entertainment. At the same time, films such as ‘Aattam’ and ‘Feminichi Fathima’, which have travelled the festival circuit, have also found audiences in theatres. OTT platforms are becoming more receptive to independent films, opening up more opportunities for them to reach viewers. I believe a film that is relatable to its audience will always find its viewers.
What are your aspirations as a filmmaker?
My wish is to make meaningful cinema that people can enjoy while also giving them something to think about. That is the kind of label I want to establish for myself as a filmmaker. I have the structure for my next film ready and am working on developing it further.