KOCHI: Getting married to the Sivan household was an eye-opener for Deepti who was contemplating a career in law. The endless hours spent assisting her husband Sanjeev Sivan behind the camera taught her a thing or two about the making of good cinema. Soon, she was dabbling with the idea of making a film herself.
Her recent documentary ‘Decoding Shankar’ on the life of a software engineer into one of India’s well-loved singers Shankar Mahadevan, is receiving rave reviews at international film festivals across the globe. Most recently, the film was selected to be screened at the Indian Panorama-2018 which will be held in Goa.
“Shankar’s life is a revelation. It tells the story of how a young engineer was willing to give up his cushy job to follow his full-time passion which was music. If he had not taken that jump, he would have remained just another software engineer in Silicon Valley without the world discovering his true talent,” said Deepti.
Deepti believes that apart from A R Rahman, Shankar is the only pan-Indian musician who is extremely comfortable in various genres, whether it be classical, jazz, western music and even ghazals.The 52-minute documentary feature is peppered with personal statements, anecdotes and documents the rise of Shankar in the music business. Deepti has also focused on the personal side of the musician as a teacher and even as a family man who appreciates good food.
‘Decoding Shankar’s’ USP is that it does not follow the linear pattern of documentary-making. “There are so many aspects to Shankar’s life which is why I opted for a non-linear mode of storytelling. The documentary focuses on pivotal moments in Shankar’s life which shaped his musical sensitivity and explores how the creative mind works. By decoding his melodies and songs, the film paints a picture of his tryst with music,” said Deepti, who had worked for two-and-a-half years on the documentary.When the film was screened at Germany and South Korea, it was interesting to note there were many people who were aware of the Indian musician, said the mother of three.