Cannes-Winning Director Chidananda S Naik Engages With SJMC Students, Shares Insights On Filmmaking & Success

Indore (Madhya Pradesh): Indian film director and screenwriter Chidananda S Naik was in the city to have an interactive session with the students of School of Journalism and Mass Communication (SJMC), on Thursday. He also showcased his film “Sunflowers were the first ones to know” which won the first prize of La Cinef for best short in Cannes Film Festival 2024, which was a major triumph for India. The first prize for Chidananda was India's second in five years. 

In a conversation with Free Press, he shared, “We had only four days to make the film as per the criteria of the film category to be presented in the film festival. The film was 15 minutes long and won the first prize at the 77th Cannes Film Festival.” “The short film was based on folklore from Karnataka. This is the story we grew up with, so I have carried this idea since my childhood and I executed it in this film. It cannot be categorised into any particular genre but it falls in drama and fantasy kind of thing”, he shared while talking about the conceptualisation of the short film.

Sharing his experience as a director, he stated “I have made three movies, along with one documentary till date. All in different languages Marathi, Kannada and one more but my comfort language is Kannada as it is my mother tongue and I am from Karnataka. I prefer the language where the story goes or connects with the public and is generated from.” “The students who are looking for a career in film-making should perceive it as any other professional course. Either by academic journey or on their own as the foundation and basics remain the same throughout. A proper navigation leads to a better path and success” he suggested while talking to the students.

He further added “People out there can learn film-making ideas like photography – different angles and shots through any medium. It can be mobile or theatre groups. The important aspect is dedication and the passion to learn and perceive.”

“Film-making needs more preparation and training but theatre helps to learn certain skills and basic dynamics of working in this environment”, he said while throwing light on film-making. Sharing his experience about the students of SJMC, he stated, “The students were very interactive and kept on asking questions related to film-making. The platform and experiences they are getting will help them to be successful in the industry further on.”