Independent filmmakers to release multi-lingual anthology titled 4

CHENNAI: The Hollywood sign that stood tall among orange skies and summer winds has managed to bewitch people to the City of Angels hoping to live their Hollywood dream. It was no different for Ponvishal Chidambaranathan, a 25-year-old independent filmmaker-producer born in Chennai and raised in Kumbakonam, who moved to the US with a fire in his mind and passion in his heart for films.

• How and when did your interest in filmmaking begin?

Growing up, I was an inquisitive kid. I watched a lot of movies and documentaries and discovered unsung folktales about my roots. I began devouring novels from diverse writers across the globe. I started admiring and empathising with those fictional characters and those early memories propelled my admiration for the art of storytelling.

• As an independent filmmaker/producer you have had the chance to work on a variety of different projects with well-known artists and networks. How was the experience?

Right after graduation, I moved to Los Angeles to pursue my passion, and attempt to create something substantial for myself. However, initially, it was tough owing to the pandemic. I juggled part-time jobs while being a full-time student. My constant drive kept me going and helped me cultivate a diverse set of scalable skills. Over the course of time, I was able to collaborate with so many talents and accumulate a dynamic product portfolio from major commercials for Audi, Disney, and ESPN to music videos featuring stars like Beyoncé and Justin Bieber.

• Talking about your upcoming project, 4, what is the film about?

4 is an Indian multi-lingual anthology that thematises four innate needs or motivations of people. The films are titled Poopal directed by Tijo Thomas Kaliyanil (Malayalam), Andhaadhi directed by Kevin Shadrach (Tanglish), My Husband is a Gangster directed by Lokesh Gurunath (Tamil), and Ka Pateng directed by Sankirang L (Khasi). These films discuss security, pleasure, righteousness, and liberation, respectively. 4 probes the fundamental human needs, gathering its inspirations from concepts of ancient Indian philosophy, Purusharthas, and offers an unlikely intersection with the well-known psychological theory, Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, and Thirukkural, a classic Tamil text of wisdom that talks about on ethics and morality.

• Since the film has been shot in four different cities, as an independent filmmaker/producer what was the most challenging part?

It’s never easy to convey emotions properly through storytelling. The complexity of this style of work takes patience and persistence. Meticulous planning is essential to ensure the success of any high-quality, film, commercial, or even Youtube video for that matter. In a time where the competition is high and the demand is growing every day, I had to put in maximum effort to innovate and excel in the producer’s craft irrespective of the time difference, economic crisis, creative differences, and other external circumstances.

• Do these films have something new to offer?

These films serve as an inter-dimensional portal that transports the audience cognitively to alternative spaces, time, and culture. Compelling characters and their journeys reflect our collective needs, beliefs, emotions, and cultural perspectives. Each story in 4 deals with the potential, purpose, or inspirations of traditional, psychology, or poetry of wisdom, stirring the viewers to raise complex questions on the relevance, needs, and motives of life as we know it.

Ponvishal Chidambaranathan

• To whom will this film appeal and why should people watch it?

I think millennials who would like to escape mundane experiences of life and wish to experience something more transcendental should definitely watch it and also the Gen Z who would like to learn something new and experience different emotions. As individuals, we tend to stick to our beliefs or values shaped by the media, society and upbringing. These stories will challenge our belief system and let us engage in a non-combative way and open up discussions by introducing chances to evoke change.

• What’s next for you?

Our next initiative ‘Elsewhere’ focuses on conceptualising and creating immersible spaces to bring people together such as multi-sensory concerts, gamified street plays, and art exhibits with 360 surround-sound and projection mapping. We’re aiming to explore opportunities in web 3 platforms like Metaverse to promote tourism in remote communities and travel throughout places that have been affected by the pandemic and our team is going to be using techniques such as photogrammetry and local journalism to transform 2D images of far-off towns into a 360 space, in order for viewers to experience those places from their homes. So I’m really excited about it.

The film is scheduled to release in early 2023 at https://vimeo.com/showcase/4.