1. Wednesday, April 29, 20154 GULF TIMES
COVER STORY
O
n one of the cooler
April evenings,
Christy Siluvappan
sits by the pool
at a spa near
Corniche and looks as content
as a successful first-time film
producer could.
“The challenge was to challenge
ourselves,” he says, when asked
about the backbreaking task
of helming his debut Tamil
film Kuttram Kadithal — The
Punishment, which won the
Best Tamil Film award at the
62nd
National Film Awards of
India, earlier this year, and has
been travelling film festivals all
over.
“It’s very difficult to know
when we can actually feel
satisfied. The question is when
can we put a full stop, and say
alright, this shot is good,” he says,
pausing for words, “So the biggest
challenge was always within.”
Settled in Doha with an exciting
and exacting job as a media
manager at Al Jazeera Network,
Siluvappan may also be the
unlikeliest of late-blooming indie
film producer prototypes. Yet, to
him, it was only natural that he
did this.
“Film-making has always been
my passion, and the language of
cinema isn’t new to me,” says the
30-something, who started out as
a video editor and a photographer,
and has done everything, from
being a cameraman to a colourist,
“I was into the industry, but I
wasn’t in the industry.”
In the time that he wouldn’t
be busy building workflows and
frenetically ideating at his job
here in Doha, Siluvappan’s long-
bred passion struck harmony with
his creative side and thus came
together Kuttram Kadithal.
Directed by debutant Bramma
G, the taut drama tells the story
of 24 hours in the life of a young
female teacher who has married
against her family’s wishes, and is
trying to start a new life with her
beloved engineer husband. Things
go awry when she encounters
a person she has never met in
her life. Soon, she finds herself
being chased by the police and
the media. She flees the city and
becomes Most Wanted overnight.
The first vestiges of the film can
be traced back to a little tea shop
in Chennai, India, around two-
and-a-half years ago. “That day,
Bramma and I began discussing
about making a film because we
had been thinking about it for
the longest,” Siluvappan shares,
“I have been living in Qatar for
nine years, and as a Non-Resident
Indian (NRI), my heart was always
longing to do something back
home.”
Like his theatre writer-director
friend Bramma and others,
Siluvappan, too, was a theatre
artiste. “So we decided that all
of us theatre friends should get
together and make this happen,”
he says. From the film’s sound
designer to the editor, everybody
was a friend or a friend of a friend.
As they began hashing out the
script, Siluvappan and Bramma —
who had a regular government job
— agreed on two things: keep it
close to reality and keep it quick.
“The narrative had to be pacy,”
he says, “as the current crop of
audience is mostly interested in a
film that is running, throbbing.”
Since the narrative follows a
slew of fascinating characters, the
camera “is merely an observer in
these people’s lives.” Siluvappan
says, “We didn’t try to write much
Toil,sweat,reward
Kuttram Kadithal — The Punishment, which won the Best Tamil Film award
at the 62nd National Film Awards of India, is slated for a worldwide release in
May, including in Doha. Filmmaker Christy Siluvappan tells Anand Holla
how the drama unfolded and what it means for him and his crew
DETERMINED: Settled in Doha with an exacting job as a media manager at Al Jazeera Network, Christy Siluvappan may be the unlikeliest of late-blooming
indie film producer prototypes. Photo by Anand Holla
“It’sverydifficulttoknow
whenwecanactuallyfeel
satisfied.Thequestionis
whencanweputafullstop,
andsayalright,thisshotis
good,”Siluvappansays

2. 5Wednesday, April 29, 2015
COVER STORY
GULF TIMES
and etch out a character. We
actually let characters perform
and then we observed them and
captured them.”
An intriguing casting choice
was Master Ajay, who was
handpicked from a children’s
home in Chennai. “We were
looking at a lot of fine faces but a
fine face is not what we wanted.
We wanted a face like Ajay’s,”
Siluvappan says of the boy whose
face and demeanour packs in a
ton of emotions that words may
not convey, “He has perhaps gone
through a lot, and it shows.”
Last May, the shoot was
wrapped up, in just 55 days.
Initially, the crew decided to make
do with Canon 5D Mark II. “We
eventually decided to shoot it
with Red digital cinema camera
as I knew that there would be a
massive perceptible difference in
the results,” Siluvappan recalls,
“It was a big decision for me
because suddenly the production
cost skyrocketed. But we wanted
that look.”
What was definitely kind on
the pockets of the producers
— JSK Film Corporation, and
Siluvappan’s Chris Pictures — is
the premise of the film. “Since
it was the first film for all of us,
we wanted something real, like a
story we could easily connect to.
Even better that this plot suited
our budget,” he says and laughs.
The idea was to just make a
film. “A good film,” Siluvappan
stresses on ‘good’, “That’s it.” So
when he saw the finished film hot
off the cinematic oven the first
time, Siluvappan felt content.
“Whatever happens thereafter
is all commercial. Awards and
acclaim are all welcome, but our
focus was to complete the film the
way we had written.”
In an unconventional move,
more so for an enthusiastic
debut brigade, they decided to
not release it. “Having won the
National Award for the previous
year, Satish Kumar, of JSK, came
on board also as a producer and
helped take the film to various
avenues, including International
Film Festival of India (IFFI),
2014,” Siluvappan says.
Siluvappan sees something
special in how when the National
Awards in India were announced,
Qatar’s Emir visited India. “I was
flying down from Qatar to India
and I sensed that I was part of
this interesting collaboration that
was happening between the two
countries,” he muses.
“Qataris are huge consumers of
Bollywood cinema. If you have any
doubt about that, you can find out
for yourself by catching the Hindi
films being shown at Villaggio
or City Center,” Siluvappan says,
“That’s why I feel Qataris must
invest in Indian films which are
terrific investment options. As
a producer, when you invest
wisely in Indian cinema, you are
very likely to get double or triple
returns.”
For expats, it’s all the more
arduous to pursue their passion
while tackling their regular job —
Siluvappan knows this because he
has been through it. “You can do
what you desire to do only if you
have the passion,” he says.
“I had tried making a film here
in Doha, but it didn’t work out.
It’s very tough because both your
office work and film-making are
full-time jobs. Doing the two
together and doing them well is
difficult. I have met a lot of NRIs
who want to make movies, but
they have concluded that it’s too
difficult to pull off. I say if you put
your heart into it, you can make it
— like I did,” he points out.
For instance, for several months
on end, Siluvappan would fly to
Chennai on weekends to work on
Kuttram Kadithal. “I had to,” he
says, “You cannot do these things
if you don’t connect.”
The film is slated for a
worldwide release in May,
including in Doha. Looking back,
Siluvappan maintains that the
most complex bit was challenging
their minds over whether they did
the right thing.
“After making a film, you might
be satisfied, but you don’t know
what others think until you get
some recognition or people’s
reactions,” he explains, “At the end
of the day, you are making a film
not for yourself, but for others.
And yet, we must satisfy ourselves
first, before thinking of others.”
As prolific a writer as Bramma
is known in his circle back home,
execution is what torments an
indie filmmaker’s debut. “For a
scriptwriter who has never been a
director, it’s a massive challenge,”
Siluvappan reasons, “That’s
because he will keep referring to
his papers and make sure those
written scenes come alive on
screen, just that way, or else he
won’t stop.”
That obviously meant a crazy
work schedule that knew no
boundaries of the clock. “Every
scene that Bramma shoots, he
simply refuses to compromise.
So I had to keep reminding him
in a nice, diplomatic way, that
you know, every film kind of
still requires improvisation,”
Siluvappan says, and laughs.
Just as everything came
together for the cast and crew of
Kuttram Kadithal, serendipity,
too, extended a warm, if
somewhat spooky, hand to
the film’s protagonist Radhika
Prasidhha, who plays Merlin, the
teacher.
“It was the first day of our
shoot and we checked into a
college hostel far from Chennai.
Radhika went to her room to
find that somebody had written
Happy Birthday Merlin on the
wall,” Siluvappan recounts, “She
ignored it as a prank and later
confronted us over it. None of us
had written that.”
What could it mean? “I think
the birthday message signified the
birth of that character Merlin,”
Siluvappan says, and smiles,
“Only later, we learnt that it
wasn’t intended for her. It was
written some time back for a girl
named Merlin who stayed there.
Incidentally, Radhika met that
Merlin a year later. Whatever it
was, it felt like a blessing.”
“Qatarisarehugeconsumersof
Bollywoodcinema.Ifyouhaveany
doubtaboutthat,youcanfindout
foryourselfbycatchingtheHindi
filmsbeingshownatVillaggio
orCityCenter,”Siluvappansays,
“That’swhyIfeelQatarismustinvest
inIndianfilmswhichareterrific
investmentoptions.Asaproducer,
whenyouinvestwiselyinIndian
cinema,youareverylikelytoget
doubleortriplereturns”
A still from Kuttram Kadithal.
CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED: As well as landing the National Award, the film
has travelled several festivals.

3. Labouroflove
Doha 27°C—39°C today Puzzles 14 & 15Lifestyle/Horoscope 13
Rajab 10, 1436 AH
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
Round&About
I-Wed 2015
brings fabulous
wedding
trends and the
opportunity of
connecting the
service providers to set up
for the big occasion.
Cinema
Indian cinema
can also
be subtle
and silent.
MS Prakash
Babu’s Fig
Fruit and the Wasps is a
brilliant example.
3
16
Community
Community
talks to
some
prominent
Nepali
community
leaders in
Qatar about the
recent earthquake.
2018
Community
Zumba fitness
dance class at
Sheraton will
raise funds for
Unicef Road
to Awareness
campaign for
underprivileged children.
Hollywood
With so much
on offer, a mix
of movies will
actually make
this summer’s
entertainment
fare more
fulfilling.
10
PASSIONATE: Christy Siluvappan poses for Community. Photo by Anand Holla
Doha-based media manager Christy Siluvappan opens up on his ‘mission
impossible’ — making a debut Tamil film — whilst sticking to his job! P4-5
Cover
Story

4. 9Tuesday, May 5, 2015 GULF TIMES
COMMUNITY
Doharesidentwins
anIndianNational
FilmAward
By Anand Holla
A
t the 62nd National
Film Awards
Ceremony — the
highest awards in
the field of Indian
entertainment — in New Delhi,
India, on Sunday evening, a non-
resident Indian from Doha, too,
went up on stage to receive an
award.
Christy Siluvappan, who
works as a media manager at Al
Jazeera Network here in Doha, is
the producer of a gripping Tamil
drama Kuttram Kadithal (The
Punishment), and the film was
adjudged as the Best Tamil film of
the year.
Last week, Community did an
interview with Siluvappan, for
whom filmmaking has always
been a passion. “It was a great
experience meeting all other
awardees in this event, and
meeting Industry stalwarts of
India was very encouraging and
energising, as well,” Siluvappan
said, from Delhi.
Directed by debutant Bramma
G, the film tells the story of 24
hours in the life of a young female
teacher who has married against
her family’s wishes, and is trying
to start a new life with her beloved
engineer husband. Things go awry
when she encounters a person she
has never met in her life. Soon, she
finds herself being chased by the
police and the media. She flees the
city and becomes Most Wanted
overnight.
Siluvappan said, “We were
appreciated and welcomed by
many industry biggies such as
actor-producer Dhanush, who
too received an award. Director
Barathiraja Sir, who was the Jury
Chairman, appreciated our work
as this is our debut production
under Chris Pictures. My friends in
Qatar and other countries wished
us all the success and we are super
excited about our future ventures.
I look forward for the well-
heeled NRI businessmen to see
opportunities in Indian Cinema
and come forward to turn their
passions into reality.”
The biggest challenge was
to challenge their own selves,
Siluvappan said, when asked about
the backbreaking task of helming
his debut that has been travelling
film festivals all over, and is slated
for a release this month.
“It’s very difficult to know when
we can actually feel satisfied. The
question is when can we put a full
stop, and say alright, this shot is
good. So the biggest challenge was
always within,” he said. WINNERS: The film’s director Bramma, left, with producer Christy Siluvappan.
Winning entries from MIA student art
competition go on display
A
showcase of winning
entries from a
competition recently
organised by the
Museum of Islamic Art
(MIA) has opened in the museum’s
Education Centre, coinciding with
its special exhibition Marvellous
Creatures: Animal Fables in Islamic
Art.
The competition, titled Art in the
Making, invited students aged 16-25
to submit artworks from September
2014 – January 2015. A total of
66 entries were received, among
them 19 from overseas. Artworks
submitted included illustrations,
paintings, and mixed media inspired
by animal fables, specifically those
from well-known and beloved
classics such as Kalila wa Dimna and
One Thousand and One Nights.
A judging panel that included
Dr Sabrina Puppin, MIA Head of
Art Education and Art Programs
and Dr Leslee Michelsen, MIA
Head of Curatorial and Research,
carefully selected ten winners to
put on a show (eight of which are
from Qatar). The winning entries
were chosen for their artistry,
imagination and narrative skill.
In addition to being displayed in
the showcase running until June
1, the winning artworks are also
featured in a special commemorative
book. Featuring 30 colourful images,
and delightful artist statements, the
books were awarded to the winners
at a special event that took place at
the MIA Education Centre recently.
Aisha al-Khater, Director of
MIA, said,“It is a great pleasure
to present the winning entries
of the Marvellous Creatures Art
Competition, produced by a group
of truly talented students. Each
of them expressed an artistic
understanding and appreciation
of these great fables of the past,
and brought them to life in their
own creative ways. These new
illustrations provide fresh insight
into these timeless tales, and we
hope both this competition and
the exhibition itself will continue
to inspire young artists to draw on
these stories and give them a fresh
meaning.”
The Art in the Making
competition forms part of a larger
calendar of educational events
that MIA has on offer for everyone
to enjoy this summer, reinforcing
MIA’s focus on art, and heritage,
and its commitment to nurturing
emerging talent and fostering an
indigenous culture of creativity and
innovation. Educational activities
on offer this summer include talks
and tours, family activities, library
programmes, activities for schools,
calligraphy workshops and art
workshops. Together, these form
part of MIA’s continued efforts
in providing dynamic exhibition
activities that appeal to diverse
communities.
ARTISTIC: Two of the students whose work is being displayed at the exhibit.