Sanal Aman was the co-director of two stories in the series—'Identity' and 'Tradition'. He also acted in the former.
Published Jul 30, 2024 | 1:30 PM ⚊ Updated Jul 30, 2024 | 3:14 PM
Sanal Aman co-directed two stories in the Kannada series 'Ekam'. (Supplied)
Malayalam actor-director Sanal Aman has all the reasons to celebrate since the Kannada anthology series Ekam, which he is part of, received a warm response after its premiere.
Sanal Aman was the co-director of two stories in the Ekam series—Identity and Tradition. He also acted in the former.
Sandeep PS and Sumanth Bhat are the creators of the web show. The seven-episode web series is co-produced by Rakshit Shetty’s Paramvah Studios.
Sanal Aman got recognition for his commendable performance in Fahadh Faasil’s Malik (2021), directed by Mahesh Narayanan.
He has been associated with the theater since his school days. He graduated from the National School of Drama in Delhi. Later, he completed his two-year post-graduation at the Thrissur School of Drama and a one-year PG at the Central University of Hyderabad.
Sanal Aman acted in many plays; he debuted in the Malayalam film industry with Asthamayam Vare (2014), directed by Sajin Babu. However, he rose to popularity with his role in Malik. He also played a key role in Karthi’s Tamil film Japan (2023).
In a candid interview with South First, Sanal Aman shares his experiences as a co-director and an actor in the Ekam anthology series.
Q. How did Ekam happen?
Sanal Aman acted in ‘Identity’, one of the stories in the ‘Ekam’ series. (Supplied)
A. Sandeep PS and Sumanth Bhat are the showrunners of Ekam. Sandeep leads the Journey Man Productions. We started filming this project two years ago. However, I have known Sandeep much before, from a three-week acting workshop in Bhutan.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, there was uncertainty and we were not sure when Malik would be released. I thought I needed to write and direct something on my own and that was when Sandeep told me about Ekam. He also asked me if I could co-direct two stories in the series.
The shooting kicked off in Udupi and I joined the team, all Sandeep’s friends. Swaroop is my co-director in Identity and Tradition.
Q. When did Rakshit Shetty come into the picture?
A. Sumanth Bhat is well-crafted. He is from Udupi. He is also a close friend of Rakshit Shetty. That’s how Rakshit Shetty agreed to present Ekam.
Q. Tell us about your two stories in the Ekam series.
A. Both stories were written originally in Malayalam by Satheesan Puthumana. For Tradition, we presented the content from a Kannada perspective.
The main idea of Tradition was to underscore the fact that old traditions are still followed in our society. The story itself was a metaphor; an idea. It revolves around a family and how they stand up for their values.
We weaved a story around an abstract idea taken from the original book and chose not to present the events realistically.
Identity, too, was inspired by an abstract idea. The protagonist lives alone. Devadathan is a character that the protagonist wants to write about at one point, but he fails to do so.
Q. Why did you choose to present Identity in Malayalam?
A. It’s because the story happens in the Karavali region, which includes Udupi and Mangalore. These are coastal areas located along the border of Kerala and Karnataka. The region is known for its rich cultural exchange.
The protagonist in Identity works in Udupi and represents the youngsters, who shift to different regions in search of livelihood.
While he speaks Malayalam, the other people in the story speak Kannada. This is how people in the region are. We wanted to keep it authentic and relatable.
Q. How was the shooting process?
Sanal Aman with Prakash Raj on the sets of ‘Ekam’. (Supplied)
A. Besides the Karavali region, we shot the series in Manipal. The shooting started after six months of prep. The filming went on smoothly and we wrapped up Identity in three to four days and Tradition in just two days.
It wasn’t difficult for me as other people, including co-directors and showrunners, were there too. We didn’t shoot all the stories simultaneously. We filmed them one by one to make our work easier.
Q. How was it working with Prakash Raj?
A. We were lucky to have Prakash Raj. Ekam is an anthology and doesn’t have a usual format. It’s not a commercially viable project, but Prakash Raj liked the story and the concept.
Since he also has a strong political vision, he could relate to the story of Tradition. He was well-prepared when he came for the shot on day 1. He also told us about how he conceived the character, which amazed us.
Further, he readily took our input. It was a good learning experience working with him, and his vast experience helped us a lot in the series.
Q. Ekam was not acquired by any OTT platform because of which you had to release it on your own. Would you like to say anything about this?
A. Ekam didn’t have a formula that goes with the OTT space. We didn’t approach it as a commercial series. We thought that this series must make a lasting impact like The Malgudi Days. So, we took care of every detail like the location, the flavour, the geography, the local traditions, and much more, which are reflected in the series.
Meanwhile, the OTT platforms look for the commercial viability of films and web shows. Hence, they buy content that will fetch them more subscriptions.
So, we premiered Ekam through our platform (www.ekamtheseries.com) and decided to offer only quality content to the viewers every time.
Q. What are your new projects?
A. I haven’t committed to anything so far. But discussions are going on.
(Edited by Y Krishna Jyothi)
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