Abhay Kumar's Placebo Effect | Golden Podium

Team TRM got a chance to talk to Abhay Kumar whose forth-coming documentary has attracted attention of indie lover. Here we go:

1. Abhay, Placebo has got the attention of Indie fan base. It’s a documentary and this is the only thing we know. Can you tell us more?

AK: It is a hybrid documentary; which means we are using various narrative tools to tell a real story. It uses animation, found footage, archival footage, travel footage, spy cam footage to tell this story of this world that I happened to stumble across. Details about the subject matter can be found here: http://www.wishberry.in/Placebo-15875      

2. Where did you get the inspiration from?

AK: Events transpired which kick started this film before I even knew I was making a film. I just found out along the way that this is a story I really want to tell.

3. What kind of difficulties you faced while shooting the footage?

AK: It was an undercover shoot so I had to be careful of not blowing my cover. It meant shooting using unconventional aesthetics (basically make do with whatever you can!). It's a shame that authorities in India do not have a positive outlook towards film making. They view anyone with a camera as someone trying to do an expose.

The aesthetic (or the lack of it) which we have used in the film is something which has come out organically while trying to bypass a lot of restrictions we were tied with.

These were the difficulties of the 'real' world. Then there were the difficulties of the head. In this place where i was, the time-space relationship is highly skewed. I would often get lost in this world which we were simultaneously creating while shooting. I'm still not sure if i have found a way out yet.

4. Tell us about the technical part of shooting as many of our readers are short film makers. What kind of camera you used? How are you taking care of editing?

AK: I started shooting on a Sony HD handycam. Infact 70% of the film is shot on a consumer grade handycam. Nothing too technical about it. I will be editing the film myself and we are trying to get together an edit machine which can bypass tedious format conversions.

5. Documentaries hardly have a market in this country. Do you think Placebo is financially viable?

AK: I want to find the film first before thinking about it's financial viability.

6. What will you suggest to someone who intends to make a documentary?

AK: 2 words: Make it :)

We wish Abhay and his entire team great success and power in their belief.