Exclusive Interview! Pondicherry Director Sachin Kundalkar: I Want To Dedicate This Film To All Youngsters

‘We Wanted To Capture The Real Essence Of Pondicherry’

Pondicherry trailer looks beautiful and all the characters are very much different from each other. While scripting, how did the characters develop in your mind? Were there any references from your personal life?

When my co-writer Tejas Modak and I were making Gulabjaam, we wanted to make a film on a Maharashtrian character who stays away from Maharashtra. We both travel a lot outside, hence, we get to meet many interesting Marathi speaking people outside the state as well as the country. Our motive was to tell the story about them. The genesis of the story was the same. We also wanted to create a multi-lingual story, primarily in Marathi. Apart from that, we also chose the city Pondicherry where other languages are also being spoken by various people. The city is a beautiful collage of everything such as food, languages, culture, architecture and so on.

The film is entirely shot on a smartphone. How did you come up with such a unique idea?

The fundamental thought of shooting it on iPhone aka smartphone came during the making of Gulabjaam. When we were shooting for Gulabjaam, there were too many people shouting and screaming. Because of that, I was completely lost. At that time, I had told my DOP how wonderful it would be if there are only 10 people on the sets. That time, DOP said, 'Done, let's do the film with 10 people.' We wanted to capture the real essence of Pondicherry. After deciding on making a film in Pondicherry, we did a lot of R&D on iPhone. We looked into every aspect of the shoot to make the film look more beautiful and real on the big screen. We tried to absorb the greatest things of Pondicherry without disturbing the nature and people of the city.

‘I Am A Very Pre-Oriented Director’

Apart from that, what challenges did you face while shooting?

The film is shot in 2019. We were finishing the film during the pandemic. I am a very pre-oriented director. The challenges happened during my prep section, because of the new size of the camera. There were a lot of technical and creative challenges. It has been a learning process for us. We have done an immense number of workshops with technical teams as well as the actors. While shooting the film, I didn't face any challenges as I prepped really well. I was very strict with our methods. Once we start the shoot, we are professional. I feel every film has its own challenges.

Your last film Gulabjaam showcased the beautiful culture of Pune city. For Pondicherry, you chose to shoot outside Maharashtra. So, was there any particular reason behind choosing Pondicherry as the location for the film?

Tejas Modak and I were very sure that we want to tell the story of Nikita, the main protagonist played by Sai Tamhankar. Her character runs a homestay in Pondicherry. It is the story of different guests who come to stay at her homestay. It is a beautiful relationship story of how people come together as a family. That is the one line. Now, we needed a location where many languages are spoken. Pondicherry was the apt location for us as you can see people speaking languages such as Tamil, French, Hindi, English as primary languages and a lot of other regional languages. Because Nikita is Maharashtrian, the film is primarily in Marathi. Pondicherry is the only Indian beautiful small town where things like architecture, food and languages are merged.

‘All My Actors Are Well-Travelled’

I have heard that you are a very disciplined director. You believe in completing your work in the scheduled time. How did you manage to shoot the film on time with such a limited crew?

Preparations and workshops. We did a lot of paperwork and asked actors and crew to strictly follow the timings which were given to them during our workshops. We had three days of prepping sessions for the actors, in which we told them that there will be no car, makeup, bike and so on. They used to come to the locations on their scooters from hotels. They were also asked to make their own tea or coffee. We rehearsed with them. Everything was ready as there were no surprises on my set. When you have a strong script, the biggest actors will take the challenge. That is the beauty of regional cinema. I am very proud that such films can only happen in regional cinema with such brave actors.

How was your experience working with Sai, Amruta and Vaibhav?

It was amazing! Vaibhav Tatwawadi's character Rohan was written for him. When we were writing, we had Vaibhav in mind. Also, Vaibhav and I wanted to work together. Tejas and Vaibhav are very good friends. When we were shooting for Gulabjaam, we had narrated Pondicherry's script to Vaibhav. He had liked the script then only. He was the first one on board. Sai Tamhankar and I had earlier worked together for Vazandar. I knew her very well in terms of her energy and dedication. Our equations are really good. We travel together. If I talk about Amruta Khanvilkar, I had seen her in Raazi. When I was thinking about casting, I was impressed with her performance in Raazi. I called her and discussed the film over a cup of coffee. She loved the script and came on board. All my actors are well-travelled. So, they know the flavour of the outside world.

‘Pondicherry Is Not A Local Film’

As a filmmaker, what is your take on cinematic liberty in this generation of OTT platforms?

I think this is a wonderful time that we are living in. Things are breaking down, getting democratic and actors are doing wonderful experiments. We can say the stories that we want to tell. If there was a great time in Indian cinema, this is the time. I am very happy.

What is that unique factor in Pondicherry, which we haven't seen in Marathi cinema?

Multiple languages! If you see several travel channels, you will witness how Pondicherry has everything when it comes to food, languages, architecture, culture and so on. Pondicherry is not a local film and that is the USP of it. This is primarily a Marathi film with a lot of English, Tamil and Hindi in it.

‘Marathi Cinema Has Always Been Really Courageous’

Nowadays, Marathi films are making their mark on global platforms. Latest films like Jhimma, Zombivli, Panghrun and others received a positive response at the box office. Considering all the positive factors, where do you see Marathi cinema in the next three years?

Marathi cinema has always been really courageous. Courage has been the main essence of Marathi cinema. There have been so many genres in the industry. Actors are also very supportive of the ideas. Marathi cinema has been extremely bright and will always be bright. Because we create films with good scripts. It is the power of regional cinema which is now being considered nationally. Regional cinema is going to be very powerful in the next three years.

Lastly, tell us why people should watch Pondicherry in theatres?

I want to dedicate this film to all the youngsters, who have a dream of making their first film. And our experiment of shooting on a smartphone will definitely inspire them a lot. The power is in their hands.