Kartik From The Untitled Kartik Krishnan Project | Golden Podium

Everyone who knows about Guerilla filmmaking scenario in India must have come across this name - The Untitled Kartik Krishnan Project. TRM got a chance to talk to the Kartik. Here you go:

1) Kartik, what exactly is The Untitled Kartik Krishnan Project?

KK: The Untitled Kartik Krishnan Project is a meta-fictional film made by Srinivas Sunderrajan about him (played by Vishwesh Krishnamurthy- who recently directed The Deewarists, Bring on the Night), Me, Swara Bhaskar (Tanu Weds Manu, Aurangzeb, Raanjhana) and D Santosh (Bhagat Singh, Rocket Singh). Me and Srinivas had met via (now defunct) passionforcinema.com and tried to work together many a few times. Although nothing substantial materialized, we kept bouncing ideas and meeting each other, discussing films and the occasional filmy trivia & gossip. Meanwhile PFC had become a vibrant and passionate community and we all used to keep trying our hand at a short film or two. Srinivas later wrote an entirely inspired-from-our-lives script with liberal doses of fiction and approached me. To me initially it appeared like a joke. But then Srini was serious. I didn't know if I could be the 'lead' of a short film leave alone a 90 min independent feature. And my looks are not exactly chochlaty. So why me? Srinivas however instilled confidence and took me through the whole process.

Besides, we had a fab team. The one man army DOP Hashim Badani who's non complaining approach and pathetic Md Ali Road Bohri jokes kept us going, Prerana with her short temper, bittersweet tongue and cute looks, MS Belliappa who got us the office location for the film and HD resolution film trailers to watch in between breaks - together with Srini really made it feel like friends and family. Sometimes after a good days work, a sub of the day would be sponsored to us by Srini and on the average days - we'd eat the ubiquitous vada pav.  Needless to say - none of us got paid :) But we didn't mind.

I guess I'm digressing a lot. Anyways, it is a micro-mini low budget independent feature film made by Srinivas Sunderrajan I was a part of.

2) TUKKP is meta fiction. What was your approach to understand the character?

KK: The character was someone I could relate to - a software engineer who has a crush on a colleague wanting to make short films so that was a relief. Come to think of it, it was me a year or two ago. Except that may be I had to tone down my temper a little. Srinivas would sometimes interrupt me - "It is not you Kartik Krishnan but you Kartik Krishnan!" (whatever that means). In fact the reason the performance is told to be 'real' because Srini's casting was spot on. Friends of mine tell me - 'You are ok. But Vishwesh & Swara are super'. Vishwesh's friends would similarly brush away his 'performance' and talk about my 'acting'. "Aisa toh tu real life mein hi hai" - seemed to be the refrain. I guess for me, being meta fiction, it was easier to relate to. I'm sure I would've screwed up if he had asked me to play a farmer from interior Maharashtra or a suave urbane intellectual.

Plus Vishwesh, Swara, D Santosh were (and still are) super professionals. Vishwesh particularly would improvise a lot during rehearsals. I still watch the long take of me and him sitting in the matchbox Mohmd Ali staircase and talking. It's almost a 3-4 min long uninterrupted take and I still cannot believe that was me and Vishwesh.

3) It is hailed as a pathbreaking film in guerilla filmmaking in India. What kind of difficulties you faced while shooting the film?

KK: I don't know about that but there's no end to difficulties we faced. No money. No budget. Minimal lights. Only a single lapel mike to capture both actors' dialogues. No permissions to shoot. Plus the cast is only free on weekends. No 'Godfather' to inspire us when we're down. Date issues as one of the actors was signed under contract by a prominent production house (which meant he couldn't act outside). We all double up as our own costume dadas, continuity walas, makeup artists. Halfway through the film, the house in which Kartik Krishnan stays (in the film) was broken and the building cordoned off by BMC. So the easy option was to abandon the film and move on. But Srinivas kept going. Vijesh who did the special effects and sound and also contributed to the story; bounced off ideas with Srinivas and somehow in a maniac few months (with Adobe to FCP crashes etc) - a rough cut was made using the existing footage with a different approach.

Trying for a release of the same had been altogether a different bundle of problems. Making the film seemed easier than releasing it well. Now that the film is online, I hope Srini recovers his money completely (there's a tip jar there below the film's url)-  http://vimeo.com/66136951

4) It took almost an year to complete the film. What kept you going?

KK: For me it was not much because even thought it was good fun to work on it, very honestly I did not expect too much from the film. 'Agar kuch banta hai toh bonus hai warna sat sunday toh waise bhi khaali hi baitha hota hoon' - was my motivation to start with but later I started enjoying the process.

We guys had jobs/other work to look forward to. Srini however had only TUKKP on his mind and map for all that time. Plus he is a teetotaller. But I kept telling him about Nolan's first film 'Following' which was shot again on weekends over a year. All those filmy stories - of Robert Rodrguez, Primer etc., I guess kept the motivation and enthusiasm up despite the occasional push down. But Srinivas should really answer this question.

He may not have earned much by TUKKP & Greater Elephant but experience and optimism (to overlook the clinical bouts of depression/cynicism)....

5) What next?

KK: I'm looking for work (writing, assistant direction and thodi bahut acting shacting) for people who pay enough and on time. Vishwesh has done quite a few ADs as well. Swara is working in some mainstream films and commercials. So is D Santosh.

Hashim works with a Time Out Mumbai and is a well-known still photographer. Srini has directed his 2nd film Greater Elephant that had a limited release few months back. But I guess financially he is still as screwed as he was back then. But then we all are I suppose. As a friend used to say 'Kaafi achche kalakaar hain. Kala hai par Car nahi'.

For Team TRM, it was a great pleasure to talk to Kartik. TUKKP has come out as an interesting film and there are enough credentials to certify that. We would like to wish Kartik a great and prosperous future.