Filmmaker Sundeep R. Muppidi and his niece, artist Naishitha Reddy Kasarla, are all set to give Hyderabad a first. Why? Because nobody before them has ever attempted to chart through the city’s art scene using a film. And for those interested to learn a bit more about Hyderabad and its artists, this documentary promises a unique opportunity. The film will explore art in Hyderabad from two angles, individual stories of the artists combined with a larger exploration of the city’s art scene, set against global trends.
“Through the stories, we hope to explore the reasons for the nonexistence of a collective art movement in Hyderabad,” explains Sundeep.
“We have strong individual names in the city, but no large collective movements. Individual stories will dwell on the unique style of the artist,” adds the indie filmmaker, whose last documentary 'Seeing the Scientific Light' was funded by the Nasa.
The idea for the film came after Naishitha’s debut art show, Nature’s Pirouette four months ago. With an engineering background, Naishitha explored creativity with interior designing and is now full time into art.
“I was always interested in art, but never took it as a profession. Then unexpectedly, I took a break from everything and started painting,” she says.
“At first I wanted to explore the subject through my niece, but she did not like the idea. Now, she is shooting with me and helping me network with the artists in the city,” says Sundeep.
Having finished the first schedule of filming from mid-December 2013 till mid-January 2014, the two have covered senior artists like Vaikuntam, Laxma Goud, Sanjay Ashtaputre and Fawad Tamkanat among others. For Sundeep, some of these artists have been long term acquaintances. “I have been around and bumped into Laxma Goud and Fawad during my days in the University of Hyderabad, where I pursued communication studies,” he shares.
And during the first shoot, the filmmakers were awed by how the artists work. “There was this one printmaking workshop by Laxma and Chippa Sudhakar, and I saw a senior artist like Surya Prakash come and learn under them. It is something to see someone as big as Surya Prakash, who has already created a niche for himself with landscapes, come and learn something new,” adds Sundeep.
The duo have now scheduled the second shoot for July 2014, when Sundeep comes down to Hyderabad for a conference at the UoH. “We expect the film to be completed by the end of 2014. But we are in no hurry to finish the journey,” he says