Emotion matters, not the medium, says Bharatbala

Chennai

Award-winning filmmaker Bharatbala’s latest venture Meendum Ezhuvom (Uthenge Hum in Hindi), is all set to premiere across digital and electronic platforms from June 6. “This is a moment that I believe should be captured. We witnessed an India without 1.3 billion people in public places, all staying inside the homes. Not a single soul was seen in Mumbai suburban trains that has millions of commuters on a regular weekday. Varanasi looked deserted” he says. He felt that this is a story to be told to future generations. “Unfortunately, people forget things and move on easily. I want our people to keep this in their minds, and bounce back from the crisis. Hence we titled it as Meendum Ezhuvom in Tamil. Why people still feel patriotic about Vande Maatram? When Rahman and I worked on it, I told him that we are not making a video for today but for the future. Likewise, this four-minute documentary too will be a film that will be spoken of by future generations,” he tells us.

Meendum Ezhuvom was shot in 14 states across different locations. “This was quite challenging. We had get prior permission in different states. Luckily, my assistants had travelled to their hometowns before the lockdown and they formed a team in their respective cities. I monitored them from Mumbai and we had our editing team of three, who lived together doing the work for us from their homes. We shot in locations like Guwahati, Lucknow and Varanasi from sunrise till sunset. About 60 per cent of the content has shaped beautifully for us, which will be treasured.”

Known for his documentaries, Bharat Bala says that he doesn’t have any apprehension in making content for the digital or for the electronic medium. “Being a filmmaker, I want my creativity to resonate with people irrespective of where and how they watch it. It is the emotions that matter and not the medium. I am sure that Meendum Ezhuvom too will strike a chord with the people of our nation,” he concludes.