Interview: Kranti Kanade

About two months ago, Indian writer-director Kranti Kanade was thrilled to hear the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles announced his film Against Itself as the winner of the first-ever Film Fund Development Grant. As a result, Kanade, who is based in both Los Angeles and the Indian city of Pune, received a grant of $10,000 as well as Final Draft and Sony Creative software. In addition, his script will be showcased at a staged reading during the eighth annual IFFLA that kicks off on April 20th at the ArcLight Cinemas in Hollywood.

Kanade’s script Against Itself is about a secular expatriate American schoolmaster in India who struggles against a tide of anti-Christian sentiment that threatens his students, his school and his life.

Instituted for the first time ever this year, the IFFLA Film Fund was established to help emerging filmmakers realize their feature-length narrative and non-narrative film projects that reflect universal themes inherent within Indian culture.

As he prepares to partake in this week’s festivities at the Hollywood ArcLight, Kanade spent a few moments talking with Buzzine about his film, Against Itself, explaining how it not only furthered the spirit of the Film Fund and the festival as a whole but provided unique insight on life and religion in India.

In his conversation with Buzzine, Kanade also talked about his inspiration in developing Against Itself and how he sees the film making a genuine difference to audiences who watch it.

Parimal M. Rohit: What was the inspiration for Against Itself? What motivated you to make this film, and what opportunities arose recently to help you get this story moving along?

Krante Kanade: In the last ten years, India has opened its doors to the global market, triggering euphoria and a semblance of progress. This sudden elevation in economy has only benefited the urban rich. But what is the state of rural India? Global companies are selling sedans, plasmas and colas to people who have no roads, power or water. On the other hand, a renewed religious fundamentalism and regionalism is on the rise. Self-proclaimed groups claiming to guard the society and culture are growing. They want to save the nation from the “evils” of Western culture. They are in no mood to hear “I find some ideas questionable,” be it from a person, a book or a thought. What is the degree of our intolerance? Is India slowly becoming a fundamentalist state? To what degree is the secular fabric of our country disintegrating? Can we truly call ourselves a democratic nation when one party rules for 50 years without a worthy, consistent and dignified opposition? Is it true that only two things occupy India’s collective baffled mind – money and religion? Anything that’s not generating money is redundant. Anything that’s not religious is impure. I must tell this story because the regression is surreptitious and the future unbearable. If we accept the flaw, perhaps we may pause and reflect.

PMR: Specifically, how does the general framework of that dichotomy presented in your answer above help set up the theme of the film?

KK: In Against Itself, we see an idealistic secular ex-pat American in India who finds himself torn apart by the “development” that is crushing the local life on one hand and the forces of fundamentalism with their shrunken worldview on the other. He has made India his home, but what is he going to inherit? Will he be accepted?

PMR: In the context of your story, do you think society influences creativity?

KK: The script tries to capture today’s fragmented India. It has been very difficult for me to write, accept and adapt to the rapid socio-economic changes that are occurring around me. On one hand, almost half of the population is under the poverty line, and on the other hand, we are going to be the top luxury consumer market in the world. This divide scares me. Everyday … it takes me a lot of time to come to terms with it. All of this reflects in the script.

PMR: What do you think is the role of cinema? How does Against Itself fit within that purpose?

KK: The purpose of cinema is to question, to provoke, to face the truth. If you, as a writer-director, are ready to face the truth, your audience is ready to face it with you. Against Itself intends to pose a lot of questions.

PMR: Speaking of Against Itself, how did you hear about the IFFLA Film Fund? Where were you in the development of Against Itself when you applied? How is IFFLA (and the Film Fund) going to help you not only promote the film but also move your career forward as a filmmaker?

KK: (I had heard of it) from their newsletter (IFFLA Focus). My screenplay was under development when I applied. IFFLA people are exceptionally supportive and very generous. They are helping the project on every possible level. They have brought in some wonderful actors for the staged reading. I have already raised 30 percent finance, and I hope to find a co-producer soon. The latest draft is written by me and my co-screenwriter, Mr. Sagar Haveli.

PR: During the festival, IFFLA slotted a block of time on the morning of April 25th for a stage reading of Against Itself. What portion of the script will you be sharing with the audience, and what will the audience learn of the film by your reading? How will the reading bring the story you will tell to life?

KK: My actors will be reading the full script on the stage. The audience will get a fair idea of the film.

PMR: Tell us about your own life.

KK: My parents were educationists, but they also ran an amateur theatre company. I grew up amidst rehearsals and lights and sets and soundtracks. When I was in Fergusson College, Pune, I was attracted to cinema and studied a lot about it in the National Film Archives Pune library. After college, I was chosen for Film Direction post-graduate course at the prestigious National Film School of India- FTII. There I made my thesis film, Chaitra, based on legendary Marathi writer G.A. Kulkarni’s short story by the same name. It was well-received and it went on to win five National Film Awards in India, and it was India’s official entry to the Student Oscars. I always wanted to learn how they do things internationally, so I went to UCLA for their Producer’s Program. It was a wonderful opportunity to learn from some great teachers and industry mentors from Hollywood. My first feature film as writer/director was Mahek. It’s in the children’s film genre. It premiered at the London Film Festival to affectionate reviews. It was invited to many festivals around the world, including Chicago, Cleveland, St. Louis, Munich, and won awards in Hollywood and Houston. It is included in the University syllabus at the Otterbein College, US as part of their India studies curriculum. I am 31 and unmarried. I work from Pune, India and Los Angeles. I have co-founded an NGO that works for the destitute. So far, we have rehabilitated 148 children. We are trying. I wish the gap between the dreams of a society and the dreams of an individual reduce. It is difficult for me to be happy if everybody else isn’t. Kanade will be in Los Angeles all week, attending IFFLA. The festival kicks off on April 20th and runs through April 25th at the Hollywood ArcLight. The stage reading of his script, which features a full live reading of Against Itself by the film’s actors, will take place on April 25th at 11:00 a.m.