The 'OTTplay Interviews' Edition

4 of our most interesting conversations on cinema this week.

THREE FILMMAKERS who have captured the searing stories of our times, and an actor/activist/producer who's among Malayalam cinema's most intriguing voices. In this "interviews special" weekend edition, get an all-access pass into the minds of Rima Kallingal, Anubhav Sinha, Richie Mehta and Mansore, as they talk about their work and what guides it. Read on:

Rima Kallingal: I Am Used To Dealing With Male Egos

SINCE she made her film debut in 2009, Rima Kallingal has appeared in over 30 films, whilst keeping up her practice as a danseuse — and actively participating in the pioneering industry body, Women In Cinema Collective. Having built on her craft with every successive performance, Santhoshathinte Onnam Rahasyam (dir. Don Palathara; 2020) marks one of her finest turns. This month, Rima returns after a brief hiatus with Aashiq Abu’s Neelavelicham, which she has also co-produced.

— NEELIMA MENON

Read It Here

Anubhav Sinha: I'm Alleged To Be More Political Than I Am

ANUBHAV SINHA’s Bheed, searing in black-and-white, is a sort of collective conscience asking us to open our eyes to what happened over March and April of 2020, after the first nationwide lockdown was declared in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The film turns observer as casteism overrules hierarchy, as basic decency initially recedes into the background and prejudices take over, and as characters discover their inner strengths. Anubhav tells us about his film philosophy.

— SUBHA J RAO

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Mansore: I Wanted 19.20.21 To Be An Uncomfortable Watch

AT THE recently concluded Bengaluru International Film Festival (BIFFES 2023), the Special Jury Mention in Kannada Cinema Competition went to director Mansore’s 19.20.21. Based on the real-life case of journalist Vittala Malekudiya and his father Linganna’s arrest under the draconian Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, and their nine-year legal battle for justice, 19.20.21 narrates the searing tale of what happens when a member of a tribal community merely asks for their rights. Mansore is among the few Kannada filmmakers who makes films with a social conscience. He tells OTTplay what about Vittala’s case moved him to make this movie.

— SJR

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Richie Mehta: I Feel, Ultimately, Human Beings Are Fairly Simple

BACK IN 2019, filmmaker Richie Mehta altered the landscape of streaming with his show, Delhi Crime. The series centered on the 2012 Delhi gang rape case that shook the nation. Mehta retold the familiar story such that what could have been a sleek procedural drama highlighting the deftness of the police officers ended up as an astute examination of a broken system.

This year, the Canadian filmmaker has headlined another show — Poacher, set in Kerala. His commitment to authenticity remains undeterred. In an interview, the filmmaker muses on his working style, and if his approach of unpacking a system runs the risk of valourising it.

— ISHITA SENGUPTA

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This weekly newsletter compiles a list of the latest (and most important) reviews from OTTplay so you can figure what to watch or ditch over the weekend ahead.

In which we invite a scholar of cinema, devotee of the moving image, to write a prose poem dedicated to their poison of choice. Expect to spend an
hour on this.