Indian Cinema’s most acclaimed flimmaker Mysore Shrinivas Sathyu more popularly known as M. S. Sathyu hails from Mysore, Karnataka. Of late he has been chosen for the prestigious Sangeet Natak Akademi fellowships for the year 2014 along with musicologist S. R. Janakiraman, classical singer Vijay Kichlu & musician Tulsidas Borkar. Present herewith is a telephonic conversation with him.
You & your films have bagged many Indian awards & International honours in your chequered career as a filmmaker. Would you feel free to throw some light on it?
Incidentally speaking I am known more as a leading Indian film director, stage designer & art director. And I am also best known for my most talked about directorial film ‘Garam Hawa’ (1973) which was based on the partition of India. Of late I have been chosen for the prestigious Sangeet Natak Akademi fellowships for the year 2014 along with prominent musicologist S. R. Janakiraman, classical singer Vijay Kichlu & musician Tulsidas Borkar. And I have been previously awarded Padma Shri in the year 1975. That apart my best known work, ‘Garam Hawa’ (Scorching Winds), is one of the last cinema productions featuring 1950s Marxist cultural activists including Balraj Sahni & Kaifi Azmi. In fact ‘Garam Hawa’ had won several Indian National awards in 1974, including a National Integration Award. It was also invited for the competitive section at Cannes and was also the Indian entry at the Oscars and achieved a Filmfare award for “Best Screenplay”.
Would you like to say something about your Sangeet Natak Academy Award?
What can I say about it? They just put me on the fellowship that’s it.
What are your current activities related to theatre?
I had stopped doing anything but now I am planning to start my new production named ‘Anarkali’ for National Centre for Performing Arts (NCPA).
What do you feel about the Indian Theatre in terms of quality & progress?
Well! Frankly speaking a lot of things are happening in Indian & Overseas theatre and a lot of new directors & new talents are coming but then unfortunately we are solidly lacking in play writing arena.
You have worked as a director, art director, cinematographer & writer in films & theatre. How do you manage? And which department do you love the most?
Yes Indeed I have worked in different departments in theatre & films. I like doing that and besides I am not a trained person, I apprentice myself and learn on my own. And I like everything and much more I am also a designer which I enjoy doing quite a lot. I design costumes, sets, theatre spaces and also design lighting. I mean these are mainly my greatest interests.
Now please tell us something about your much hyped movie ‘Garam Hawa’. And how did you plan it?
Oh! Honestly speaking everything just happened. Some destined acts creating things that sometimes you end up making good films. I did not plan anything I just tried to make an honest film which become a classic on its own merits. So you see one doesn’t plan such things, they just happens.
Please share your experiences about working with Kaifi Aazmi during ‘Garam Hawa’.
He put in lots of things while writing the dialogues. He gave very political aspects of it and came out much better.
How did you get associated with Indian People’s Theatre Association?
I used to do a lot of work in Mumbai in various theatre groups and that’s how I came to be associated with Indian People’s Theatre Association. That’s it.
