It is the first Found Footage film in Malayalam cinema and stars Manju Warrier, Vishak Nair, and Gayathri Ashok in the lead.
Published Aug 06, 2024 | 9:00 AM ⚊ Updated Aug 10, 2024 | 10:36 AM
Malayalam film editor Saiju Sreedharan debuts as a director with 'Footage'. (Supplied)
Saiju Sreedharan has been in the Malayalam film industry for the past 10 years and he is a well-known editor. He worked on Maheshinte Prathikaram (2016), Mayaanadhi (2017), Kumbalangi Nights (2019), Virus (2019), Android Kunjappan version 5.25 (2019), and Anjaam Paathira (2020).
And now, Saiju Sreedharan is making his debut as a director with Footage, featuring Manju Warrier, Vishak Nair, and Gayathri Ashok in the lead roles.
The trailer launched recently, promised an intriguing watch. Bineesh Chandran and Saiju Sreedharan are bankrolling the movie. Shinoz is the cinematographer.
Supposed to hit the theatres on 2 August, the film’s release was postponed due to the Wayanad landslides. The makers are yet to announce the new release date.
Footage is Malayalam’s first Found Footage film. Found Footage is a technique where all or a substantial part of the work is presented as if it were film or video recordings recorded by characters in the story, and later “found” and presented to the audience.
In an interview with South First, editor-turned-director Saiju Sreedharan talks about his vision for cinema, the making process of Footage, and a lot more.
Q. The trailer of Footage is quite intense. Tell us about the movie.
A. We have shown whatever we could about the film in the trailer. The movie has a very short thread. Unlike other films, it doesn’t have lengthy narration or a big story. Found Footage (genre) is always based on some footage that is received by a person or the character.
The characters played by Vishak Nair and Gayathri are YouTubers. This cinema is about the footage that they found in their camera for some time. It is a small subject.
Team ‘Footage’. (Supplied)
Q. How did Manju Warrier enter the project?
A. Shabna Mohammed has co-written the movie along with me. She looks at a script more from a woman’s perspective. When we approached Manju Warrier with the script, she was impressed with the genre, screenplay, and concept.
Q. Footage is described as Malayalam cinema’s first Found Footage film. What would you like to say about this?
A. In Malayalam, this genre hasn’t been explored much. There is a film which I haven’t watched though.
Q. What inspired you to do Footage?
A. I thought of doing a small film using an iPhone. The Found Footage genre is apt for that because it can be shot with a small camera and a minimal crew.
However, when we wrote Footage, the movie became slightly bigger. We were inspired by Blair Witch Project (1999) and Cloverfield (2008). However, in our project, our focus lies on the lives of the characters.
Q. While making this movie, what were your thoughts as an editor?
A. Footage is completely a different project when compared to my previous works. I always wanted to make a film with a new concept and here it is. Believe me, this won’t be easy to watch.
Saiju Sreedharan with Manju Warrier on the film sets. (Supplied)
Q. Please elaborate on the background music in the film.
A. Footage has no original songs and has been shot only using live sounds. We haven’t used a background score in the movie. But the two lead characters do listen to some songs which occasionally play in the background.
Most people in this generation enjoy all types of music. The youngsters prefer to hear Hindi and Tamil songs. So, we used a Hindi song in the trailer.
Q. How challenging is it to make such an experimental film?
A. Even if it’s not a Found Footage film, it’s a difficult process for me because I haven’t previously done any in this genre.
Since I never went to shooting locations, it had been a difficult task for me. But it was equally a good experience as I shot whatever was written in the script. This was more challenging since the output had to be perfect.
Q. What are your expectations from the film?
A. When we were still working on the movie, Manju Warrier showed it to Anurag Kashyap. He liked its unique approach and expressed his desire to present it.
We haven’t tried to spoon-feed anything to the audience in the film. I feel people will be happy after watching it since it has a freshness in its making. I also believe Footage offers a different film-viewing experience to the audience.
Q. What are your next projects?
A. My friend has completed writing the script for Munpe, which I’m directing. It has Tovino Thomas in the lead. I’m planning to start the pre-production work.
(Edited by Y Krishna Jyothi)
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