The secret of passion is purpose, feels filmmaker Mainak Misra

New-age filmmaker Mainak Misra has been making waves with his short film Days of Marigolds being highly appreciated at various film festivals. Here’s a tete-a-tete with the upcoming filmmaker, talking about what went into the making of the film.

How has your journey been from being a world cinema film researcher to making your first short film Days of Marigolds?

Film research involves mostly analysis aspects on films, whereas filmmaking demands multiple responsibilities together. The journey has been very fascinating but painstaking at the same time. Days of Marigolds is an Indie film and I had to get involved in multiple departments like story and screenplay writing, production and direction. At the end of the day, it is extremely satisfying to be accepted by multiple international film festivals.

What message are you trying to give through the film?

This film is about longing, memories, cycle of life, reflections, dreams, hope and nostalgia. Our nearest and dearest ones and the moments spent with them can never be forgotten. When they are lost, their absence is felt deep down in our hearts. We keep longing for their presence. Their memories remain vivid in our minds for the rest of our lives. Memories are missed and the moments are cherished forever. Life goes on. Through this film, I’ve shown how a younger brother keeps returning to the same place where his elder brother left. He does this again and again and for the rest of his life, even though his elder brother never returns. The phases of his life cycle pass from childhood to adolescence, early adulthood, late adulthood and eventually old age. Memories and nostalgia appear as reflections in each phase of his life cycle. Those reflections rejuvenate new hopes. After all, the secret of passion is purpose. The hopes give him purpose and dream of getting back his brother again in his life.

What was the thought behind making this a silent film?

I felt that dialogue could be stripped of the film, as cinematography, background score, and sequence of events could express my feelings, which I wanted to portray through this film. And going by the response at various film festivals, it seems my experiment worked.

Yes. Days of Marigolds has achieved a lot of appreciation at umpteen film festivals. How does it feel?

It feels extremely fascinating and motivates me for my future film projects. When your work is appreciated, it gives you confidence and drives you to attempt larger goals in life.

What is the best compliment you have received for the film?

Each compliment is very personal and a blessing to me. But I can tell you that almost everybody who has seen this film has appreciated the concept, cinematography, editing and background score.

Has your family been supportive of your endeavors in filmmaking?

Yes. My wife is my biggest support system.

Where do you go from here? What are your future plans?

Currently, I am working on a script for my first feature film.