Tamil indie film Members of the Problematic Family was recently showcased on the opening night of the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne after its premiere at the Berlin International Film Festival. R Gowtham, the director of the film, tells Hindustan Times how Tamil Nadu’s funeral culture inspired his film and settles the debate between indie and mainstream cinema.
Calls for film appreciation in India
From shooting corporate videos and material for NGOs to short documentaries and documenting grief during the COVID-19 pandemic, he has done it all. When the former chief minister of TN, CN Annadurai, died, around 15 million people gathered, making a Guinness World Record for the largest funeral gathering. “Two hours will feel like 15 years unless they’ve already heard that it’s a great film.
Because i knew I had more in me, eventually, I decided to venture into feature films. Gowtham has since spent decades being involved in filmmaking in some form or another. “I wasn’t afraid (during the pandemic). The world came to a standstill, people were dying, everything was uncertain, and I documented it all. I knew I wanted to tell something more. Members of the Problematic Family sees a motley crew of characters deal with the death of a troubled and troublesome young man. “The themes are familiar, and there was a little fabrication to mould them. “I went to Karunanidhi and Jayalalitha a ’s funerals myself, to feel the grief with my fellow men. But the funeral in my film is not as grand. It is contemporary and much more current. “If the film is good, it’ll find its audience in time. You have a day job, apply for funds and do what you need to do to make the film. Indie films don’t even fall under the same ecosystem as mainstream films in India. Your film might need the attention that they might not be able to provide. However, it all begins with them also reading, showing interest and understanding protests. I don’t know how certain people will watch my film. I don’t want to show it to them, too. But show good films in schools and colleges if you want things to change. Don’t hide good movies; people have a right to watch them. Inspired by an error in a newspaper article reporting his film, Gowtham has decided that his next film will be called Members of the Problematic Society.
That’s how I decided to make Members of the Problematic Family,” says the filmmaker. “It’s very personal,” says Gowtham when asked about the story. The filmmaker also says funeral culture is very familiar in Tamil Nadu, in the sense that popular names get a public send-off, complete with a live telecast. “It’s morbid, but I often joke about wanting at least one lakh people to see me off after my death,” he says. It’s just the kind of love people have for them,” explains Gowtham, adding, “It’s in the Tamil psyche. Gowtham might have made his feature film debut, but he says it’s stupid to compete with mainstream cinema or expect the same kind of attention. He sounds sorted when he says that he has no plans of complaining about it either. There’s a sense of nobody will watch your film or buy it,” he says candidly. Gowtham says that making the audience watch an indie film would be punishing. Film appreciation must be inculcated,” he says.
