The Untitled Kartik Krishnan Project: Fascinatingly innovative!

A thought that came to my mind after I finished watching The Untitled Kartik Krishnan Project(TUKKP) was how in the world did the director feel that this film would get a release in the Indian market. Even a film like Pan Singh Tomar took two years to hit the screens. And Mr.Srinivas Sunderrajan was expecting his film made in a budget of Rs.40000, with all unknown actors and a plot so bizarre to get a release! PVR Director’s Rare, in that respect, has been a boon to filmmakers like Sunderrajan who dare to tread the off-beaten path and also to those movie goers who crave for something more than the Rowdy Rathores and the Bol Bachchans.

Now, coming back to the film, I am sure the director must not have thought of the distribution trouble that his film might get into as he wouldn’t have had the guts to make such a film in the first place. The movie is what you can call a meta film- a term used to describe a film about a film. But TUKKP takes it one step further i.e. it’s a film about a film about a film. Weird? Yes that’s what the film is and its absurdity or as the director probably likes to call it, the film’s ‘larger than logic’ feel, is its biggest plus.

The plot you understand as the film progresses is about an IT professional Kartik Krishnan who wants to make a short film. He has read about Srinivas Sunderrajan meeting Tarantino on the website passionforcinema.com and wants Sunderrajan to direct the film as he is ignorant of the technicalities involved. Sunderrajan agrees to do the film, but as Kartik starts writing the script for the film he starts experiencing surreal events which become obstacles for the completion of the film.

Kartik in converstion with System

The film till here is an interesting watch especially for those who are aware of the filmmaking process and the troubles an indie effort(like this film itself) at making a film has to go through. There is also a character called System played delightfully by D.Santosh which is a metaphor for these obstacles. But after a while you slowly start feeling whether the film is being too smart for its own good until the climax hits you. Not that it is any less bizarre than what the film has already been, but the climax does put things into perspective. It manages to salvage the film into becoming a pseudo-intellectual venture and at the end of it leaves with you a feeling that you have watched something really different.

I highly recommend you get to know the story behind the film as well as once you realize how the director has mixed the real with the reel, the experience of watching the film gets only more rich. The performances of the actors were crucial as otherwise the film would have felt like an amateur attempt. Kartik Krishan as ‘Kartik Krishnan’ and Swara Bhaskar again as ‘Swara Bhaskar’ is quite convincing. Vishwas K who plays ‘Srinivas Sunderrajan’ is the most impressive of the lot.

Srinivas Sunderrajan should be lauded here for his novel vision and the audacity with which he has pursued it. The idea of the film sounds laughable at face value but Sunderrajan manages to hold your attention almost throughout the film and ends it on a high. He has also interspersed the film with interesting special effects. You may not like everything in The Untitled Kartik Krishnan Project but you can’t help appreciate the brave and unusual effort.

For those who cry over the lack of originality in Indian cinema, go watch The Untitled Karthik Krishnan Project before it is pulled off the theatres. You surely won’t leave the cinema hall disappointed.

Rasik

Cinema, a few years ago, has taken over cricket as my first love. The World Wide Web is to be blamed for that. Deeply in love with present Marathi Cinema.

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