Entertainment

When he watched Mani Ratnam’s 1986 classic Mouna Ragam, when he was just a little over ten, S Sashikanth was mesmerised by the beauty of what the filmmaker, along with art director Thota Tharani, had imagined. “I still remember all the details…the ten-foot main entrance, the spiral staircase, the wooden jaali, the circular courtyard, and the furniture. That whole film was beautiful.” Sashikanth decided then he would either become an architect or a filmmaker. As one could imagine, becoming an architect was much easier than becoming a filmmaker. After graduating (he had by then assisted Tharani in Shankar’s Mudhalvan), Sashikanth approached Mani Ratnam for an internship. “But he said, ‘You have already become an architect, why don’t you take that route.’”

As advised, Sashikanth went ahead with architecture, establishing his company Space Scape with his wife. When the cinema bug bit Sashikanth again, he was 35, “too old to become an assistant director,” and so instead, he chose to become a film producer — because “Why not?” After all, it was a stint that could let him learn filmmaking hands-on. And thus began the journey of Sashikanth’s immensely successful production banner, YNot Studios.

And now, after more than a decade, after producing 20+ films, the architect-turned-producer has finally realised his directing dreams, having helmed the upcoming Netflix drama, Test, starring R Madhavan, Nayanthara, Siddharth and Meera Jasmine.

Along with Netflix India boss Monika Shergill, Sashikanth speaks about how architecture fuelled his filmmaking.

Excerpts:

It’s interesting how architecture and film production are both marriages between creativity and economics. Have you always had a storyteller in you, Sashikanth?

Even in architecture, you become your first audience. A design is a story you tell yourself. So, even for cinema, you need a designer mentality; you can’t take the all-creative or an all-scientific route. I look at films like how you design a house. It’s something that is inherently yours, but you are always doing it for somebody else. So I saw myself as a storyteller who could look at filmmaking from a design perspective to tell a story.

S Sashikanth
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

Did the architect in you come in handy while producing films?

Yes. When I first came in, the industry was hooked on starting a project through narrations. But as an architect, I always looked at plans as a way to convey all my creative energies. You have to communicate to your clients that even intangible creative things could have a scientific document. So right from the first project, we directed that every project be looked at, understood and curated through script and development.

The architectural system is also very collaborative. I could be the architect, but I would need a plumbing engineer, structural engineer, or mechanical engineer. That’s what film production is like; so many people need to work collaboratively.

Siddharth as Arjun, Lirish Rahav as Aditya, Meera Jasmine as Padma, Nayanthara as Kumudha, R. Madhavan as Saravanan in ‘Test’
| Photo Credit:
M.S. Anandan / Netflix

So I assume you would do a pre-viz for all your scenes?

Yes, every location was drafted out. We went and marked where the camera would be positioned. We used StudioBinder to map out everything, and even the movements of the actors were choreographed. Everything was on paper, and so we had a Scene Bible. So I didn’t have to be there, and anyone could have looked at this and got it done. I look at filmmaking in terms of design, so I need all the bases covered first before letting any experimentation happen.

You had previously said that you thought of the story of ‘Test’ many years ago; how much of it changed as the years progressed and cinema underwent its own evolution?

It was a very plot-driven film then. The basic idea was of a cricketer and what happens to him, but being a David Fincher fan, I have always wanted to get into the psychological study of characters. It’s easy to write a Test and call it ‘the test of the characters,’ but that’s not the idea. Then I saw an interview of Virat Kohli; supposedly, when his father passed away, a 18-year-old Kohli still packed his bags and played the Ranji Trophy match for Delhi. When the interviewer asked him how he had managed to do it, he said, ‘Not playing was never a choice.’

That opened my perspective of what a cricketer is looking at when he enters his arena; it’s something like a superhero story arc that he’s willing to sacrifice all those personal bits for something much higher. Those decisions make you the hero or the villain. When he’s (Kohli) just walking away from that house, I am sure many would have thought, ‘What kind of person is he?’ But then, he goes on to get the accolades of millions. Sometimes, narcissism is looked at with a very negative connotation, but that kind of DNA is required for the ones to go on to become leaders. It gave me a great insight into how a sportsman would think and look at life. I wondered if that trait existed in common people as well, and that was the beginning of character development.

Monika, you have collaborated with Sashikanth on ‘Aelay,’ ‘Mandela’ and ‘Jagame Thandhiram. ’ What was your first response to collaborating on a project with Sashikanth as the director?

Monika Shergill: I never saw Sashi as just a producer. He always came across as a creator-cum-producer. When we saw Test, it was amazing to see a film explore character after a long time. It tested the characters’ values and ethics. A lot of the cinema we see these days is very over-indexed on plot, and we are exploring characters more in the series format. With Test, the plot depended on the characters and their choices. I could see the architect in Sashi in every frame. Because he’s an architect who could make beautiful spaces, and so, he could have made the spaces look grander in the film, but he stuck to what was required and underplayed the setting so that the characters could shine.

Monika Shergill
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

The four leads of ‘Test,’ especially Madhavan and Nayanthara, are stars who have stood the test of time. What do you think is the secret to their longevity and to having long careers in a profession like cinema?

As we go through life, we gain so much experience. For example, through 15 years of being a producer, having produced 25-odd films, there have been many testing times. I understand the idea of a test as what it means to take your house documents, give them to the bank and say, ‘Let’s release this film and take the chance.’ You need to be pushed to that place. The reason we wanted these actors is that they have gone through life as well. The fact that they’re still here means they’ve won already. They know how to fight. For Nayanthara to be a superstar for 20 years and for the kind of roles Madhavan goes after…it’s all qualitative.

Sashikanth, how excited are you about reuniting with the ‘Bramayugam’ team for the upcoming Pranav Mohanlal-starrer?

It is exciting. The film is already on floors. We’ve always been content-driven and have attempted to push the boundaries. As was the case in Bramayugam, we faced specific hurdles that needed to be crossed. But we’re super excited. The team is already in the second week of shooting.

Monika, can we expect content like ‘Adolescence’ from Netflix India?

Monika Shergill: It depends on the creators. I genuinely feel that Netflix is here to tell high-quality stories for a very diverse audience. Adolescence is a brilliant, timely show, considering what we are all experiencing. What is important to do is to keep coming closer to our audiences, to reflect on the times we are in, and to tell very powerful stories. We are telling great stories, and Test is an example of that.

India has a very complex audience; it is unlike several markets and since I work at Netflix, I get to experience many markets. India has a very heterogeneous audience, so it’s important that creators also understand which audience they want to talk to. As a platform, we are there to talk to all audiences. For us, we are Netflix for all. That’s the journey that we are on. We want to be the most loved service, and it’s important to identify, create and commission thought-provoking stories that can entertain a wide set of audiences. It is up to creators what kind of stories they bring and what they want to say. So we are here, and I hope that we get stronger and stronger by the kind of stories that we tell and what the creators in India want to say to the Indian audience and the audience across the world.

Test premieres on Netflix on Friday, April 4

A still from ‘Warfare’ 
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Warfare, a war drama by acclaimed director Alex Garland, is set to be released in Indian theatres on April 11. Garland, known for hit movies such as Ex Machina, Annihilation, Men and Civil War, has co-written and directed the movie with former US Navy SEAL Ray Mendoza. It is being distributed in India by PVR INOX Pictures.

The film recounts Mendoza’s memory of a specific 2006 mission in Iraq. Mendoza earlier served as the military supervisor for Garland’s 2023 film Civil War.

Set deep in insurgent territory, Warfare follows an elite Navy SEAL platoon on a high-stakes surveillance mission that spirals into chaos.

Inspired by firsthand accounts and the memories of those who lived through it, the film delivers an unfiltered look at the harrowing realities of combat and the unbreakable bonds forged on the battlefield, according to the official logline.

Warfare features an ensemble cast which includes Charles Melton, Will Poulter, D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, Joseph Quinn, Cosmo Jarvis, Kit Connor, Taylor John Smith, Finn Bennett, Noah Centineo and Michael Gandolfini.

Ustad Ali Akbar Khan once said that when you have to play Marwa, a raag of twilight,  you have to imagine stones crying in distress, waiting for the night. With that imagery, it’s hard to think of playing Marwa in bright sunlight. 

In the classical music tradition, predominantly in the North, it was spelt out when a raag should be rendered. The 24 hours of the day were 20 divided into segments of three hours, and based on what mood the raag was supposed to generate, it was decided when to play it. The morning raags included pre-dawn, dawn and early morning raags. This time theory was called Raga Prahar.

But today concerts are mainly held in the evenings or late evenings. So post-midday, and post-midnight raags are rarely heard. 

In the Carnatic tradition, around a century ago, it was decided to break the existing convention and render any raga at any time, to prevent them from going extinct. Says senior Carnatic violinist Lalgudi Vijayalakshmi, “The decision to sing all ragas at any time of the day was taken when music moved to concert platforms. Sometimes we do sing morning ragas at morning concerts but, of course, they are also performed in the evening.”

In the North, this tradition still prevails, but musicians have tweaked the rules — a pre-dawn Lalit is rendered during a morning concert. Or a post-midnight Kauns is rendered after 9 p.m., as the last composition in a concert.

It is heartening to see musicians in both classical traditions re-examining existing traditions and norms of performance.

Eminent singer and scholar Prabha Atre was against following the time theory. In her view, since concerts were no longer linked with Nature and time, and being held indoors, it made sense to relax the rules. This came through at the day-long festival held in Pune in February. Organised by her disciples through the Dr Prabha Atre Foundation, it was titled Raag Prabha Sangeetotsav and had artistes singing raags originally not meant for the ‘time’ of their concert. The artistes included Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia, disciple of the puritanical Annapurna Devi, Ulhas Kashalkar, again known to be a stickler for tradition, Padma Talwalkar, Alka Deo Marulkar, Vinayak Torvi, Ram Deshpande and Uday Bhawalkar. It was interesting to see each of the major gharanas represented —  Gwalior, Kirana, and Jaipur Atrauli Agra. 

Pt. Ulhas Kashalkar says singing a raag a few hours earlier or later than the prescribed time is okay

Ulhas Kashalkar says the rules of rendering are already being relaxed. For example, late-night raags  Kanhras and Kauns are rendered earlier in the evening. “To sing a raag a few hours earlier or later than the prescribed time is okay, but attempting one with a 10 or 12-hour difference would be a challenge, and I am not happy attempting it,” he says.

Additionally, Ulhas points out, the time theory of rendering does not apply to ‘jor’ raags, something Prabha Atre had also used in her argument against this system. For example, is raag Lalita Gauri to be considered a morning one for its Lalit component or early evening for its Gauri aspect? Hindol Bahar and Lalit Pancham are other mixed origin raags. These rules are for performance only, he says, because the rules are anyway broken when learning, practicing or recording.

How connoisseurs will react to music being performed at the ‘wrong’ time will be interesting to observe. Of course, the uninitiated will have no preconceived notions. 

 Alka Deo Marulkar  says she has sung raags at unprescribed times at recordings, but a performance is different

Singer and guru Alka Deo Marulkar wonders: “Will I be able to engage my evening listeners with an early morning raag? Will I be able to transcend the existing listening expectations? When I was approached to sing at the Raag Prabha Sangeetotsav, it got me thinking about the whole issue. The notes are the same but the mood is created by using each note differently, and in conjunction with the other notes. Of course, I have sung raags at unprescribed times during recordings, but a performance is different. Prabha Atre ji was never against breaking tradition for the sake of it. I respect her views, so I agreed to this experiment. I feel it’s an attempt to explore, not to break a system,” says Alka.

If this experiment becomes the norm, it will be interesting to see how artistes are able to rise above what they have been trained in. For instance, one is taught that the rising sun’s ‘rishabh’ of raag Bhairav has to be used differently than the setting sun’s ‘rishabh’, of raag Shri. When this reference point is removed, how will one convey the difference to a learner?

“Theatre is like my comfort food, dal chawal, something I want to return to as often as I can.” Kumud Mishra is conscious of the similes he uses to describe his first love. “Theatre offers me challenges that I get only once in five years in films.” 

The latest is Saanp Seedhi, a thriller in the guise of a love triangle where Kumud plays a showman, vastly different from his understated turns on screen. Staged as part of Aadyam Theatre’s bouquet of plays this year in Mumbai and Delhi, Saanp Seedhi is a desi adaptation of Anthony Shaffer’s popular two-character play Sleuth. 

Written in 1970, Akarsh Khurana has adapted Sleuth, and director Shubhrajyoti Barat generates thrills and along the way tells us that Saanp Seedi is more than a board game — it teaches us the cost of sins and the value of virtuous deeds.

Kumud plays Anil Wadhwa, an ageing actor-director-producer of crime thrillers who cooks up a plot in his personal space by inviting the young lover of his wife (played by Sumit Vyas) home. What starts as a unique, friendly chat leads to a twisted clash of egos that turns sinister. 

“There is a lot of scope for performance in Sleuth. Over the years, some of the top actors have played the part. I didn’t watch any of the performances or cinematic adaptations available on the Internet.Now, I might catch up. Every actor thinks that after playing a big part, he will become big. It doesn’t happen that way, though,” Kumud remains pragmatic like some of his popular on-screen characters. 

While many of his contemporaries at the National School of Drama have no time for the stage, Kumud says that if you have the desire and intent, time cannot become a handicap. “My training in theatre helped me perform better in mainstream films. And, my experience in cinema helped me internalise the characters better. With technology making its way into  theatre, you don’t have to take the effort to be heard till the last row.” 

From Saanp Seedhi, a desi adaptation of Anthony Shaffer’s popular two-character play Sleuth 
| Photo Credit:
Neville Sukhia

Quoting Naseeruddin Shah, Kumud says the thespian told him that the character’s contours are there in a good script. “We just have to find them.” He credits directors such as Anubhav Sinha, Nitin Kakkar and Vijay Krishna Acharya with tapping his potential. For example, in My Great Indian Family, Kumud plays a priest who is secular, and he says Vijay helped him explore the character’s internal conflict.  

Recently, Kumud’s friend was not permitted to stage a play on Hitler set in Nazi Germany. “Art is a medium of protest, but in the current atmosphere, when two people can threaten you and three can burn the venue, showcasing your art has become a risk. It leaves us vulnerable. In cinema, the stakes are higher. Theatre still finds a way. We are asked whether our play is political, religious, satirical…with so many ifs and buts, one has to camouflage the thought to find a stage.”

There was a time, remembers Kumud, when he played Aurangzeb in a school production on Sambhaji and Alamgir. “I was 16, and my Marathi drama teacher inspired me to bring out the human side of him. In those days, we didn’t see things in black-and-white. Of course, Aurangzeb was cruel, even to his family. But why can’t we see him as a ruler, an individual? Why do we use his name to cast aspersions on an entire community?”

A student of history, Kumud doesn’t buy the argument that history books are not fair in representing the past. “I was very much aware of the Vijayanagar Empire, the Cholas and the Cheras, and have visited Hampi several times. We have to make people socially and politically aware and wait for society to get bored of hate-filled narratives.”

Hailing from a deeply religious family in Rewa, Madhya Pradesh, Kumud’s father was in the Army and was passionate about acting on stage. “My sister’s best friend was from another religion. My grandfather and father had no issue with it, but my mother didn’t find it right. But she couldn’t find any justification for her disapproval. These days, WhatsApp offers us that justification through a false narrative. We cannot depend on social media narratives to know each other,and express surprise by saying aap waise wale musalman nahin hai (you are not like that Muslim) when we cross others’ paths.”

Published – April 02, 2025 06:23 pm IST