Kannada filmmaker and environmentalist Suresh Heblikar is promoting psychiatry as an effective tool to address the rising incidence of psychological trauma that youth face today. With lots of twists and turns, Kannada movie Mana Manthana (which will release in May) “is a journey into the mysterious workings of the human mind”, says the 68-year-old Bengaluru-based filmmaker, director and actor.
Heblikar doesn’t just make short films, he also spreads awareness about the environment. His tryst with environmental campaigns began in the ’90s when he participated in a movement to save the Western Ghats and in a protest against the Kaiga nuclear plant at Karwar. He became involved in issues of urban forestry, natural resources conservation, environmental awareness programmes, field studies and documentation with experts. In 1998, he set up Ecowatch, a centre for environment and sustainable development, in Bengaluru. He won the United Nations FAO Osiris Award in 2007 for his short film Shepherds on the Move, and the Paul Harris Fellowship for his contribution to environmental conservation and awareness and for his motivational films.
His love for nature drew Heblikar to the verdant Tirthahalli taluk on the banks of River Tunga to film Mana Manthana. “Since my childhood, I have had a great love for small towns, and this you will see in abundance in my creations. I have kept the basic essence of the theme but with lots of twists and turns in the life of the young boy (played by Kiran Rajaput) who loves a girl, and later falls for a young psychiatrist,” he says.
Helping him write the script was psychiatrist Dr Ashok Pai. Mana Manthana focuses on mental illnesses and is based on a real incident in Karnataka’s Shivamogga (formerly Shimoga) district. “This is a movie with elements of love, human relationships, true friendships and societal pressures. It is also a deeper study into traditions and complex human relationships that have remained unaltered and are part of our traditions. I have tried to visualise the psychological trauma of a boy due to parental and societal pressures, and the prevailing patriarchal mindsets in Indian familial institutions in a different way,” he says.
With Pai, Heblikar has also made psychological Kannada films Kadina Benki (1989), Prathama Usha Kiran (1990) and Aghata in 1995. Prathama Usha Kiran was part of cultural studies in Columbia University School of Arts for American students. Kadina Benki got the National Award for direction, while Geetha got the Filmfare award in the regional films category for best actress for her role in Prathama Usha Kiran. Heblikar’s first movie as an actor was Kankana in 1975, while his debut directorial venture was Antarala in 1983. He has made 24 feature films and acted in 30.
“Dr Pai believes mental illness is not properly investigated in India, hence misunderstanding surrounds it. The film addresses and psycho-analyses the issue,” says Heblikar, who took a 15-year break from movies to make short films and documentaries on environmental issues.
How does it feel to make films in the digital era? “Filmmaking has changed with techniques and technology. It’s simpler now. I finished my shooting in two-and-a-half months, while post-production took longer. I’ve kept a bit of the old world charm in my movie where the mind and body work in consonance, and living in a small town or village, the way we look at life is different and relationships matter a lot. My next movie will have strong elements of nature and conservation,” says Heblikar.