Veteran film producer and director Chandran Rutnam says the true film producer should be the one who selects the director.

 

“But it’s not working that way here and not enough credit is given to the producer. When we start shooting a movie, the director is the captain of the ship. We honour that position. However without that interaction between commerce and arts, you are not going to do a film. The producer is the Angel who brings the money to make the film, but we don’t give the Angel back his money. How do you expect the Angel to come back with money again. Commerce and arts have to mix. Filmmaking is the most expensive and most collaborative art form. The service rendered by every person in the crew is important. Being at the helm of Film Location Services for several years we have been just doing that, coordinating every department in style. The director is given an important position; I don’t say it is over-rated but the topmost position is given to the director at the expense of other people. But it should not be given at the expense of the producer. I have great respect for producers,” he said.

 

 

“For instance regarding my latest film ‘A Common Man’ I had a chat with my friend Manohan Nanayakkara who said it was a lovely story. He had seen my film Road From Elephant Pass and fell in love with it. He asked me what my next project, was going to be. I said I was toying with the idea of the common man, which should be made for the international audience in English. I said I needed the funding. He said he would like to act. I said why not. I like to direct people who had never acted before. In most of my films I have had newcomers. I think I have the knack of extracting what I want from people who have not got too much baggage. Unfortunately Mano got sick and when he asked him whom I wanted to cast, I said Ben Kingsley never expecting him to give his ok. Ben read the script and took a liking to it. The deal was sealed. He said he would never change his word. He was able to give us only 14 days and I finished him off in 11 days. He came prepared very professional and he did the job. He followed instructions. There was one shot I did 8 times, but he obliged without any hesitation.  He did not socialise during the movie but after that he was a completely different guy,” said Chandran Rutnam. 

 

The producer From a small notion, idea or concept, producer see something great, some thing noble, something worthy of the months and years of struggle that will turn it into a film. The film producer will nurture it, defend it, and surround it with people who share the same vision. From this, something spectacular can evolve that may amaze the world. To make a film, someone has to start with a vision and the elements to pull it off. Having as idea is not good enough, if you have no knowledge, enthusiasm, commitment and the resources to do it. The resources alone do not make a producer. The vision, the creation of a concept fulfilling the requirements of, selecting a story, a director, the actors, sets locations and crew are of vital importance. That’s the role of a producer. Is this creative? Yes it is, simply because it germinates from the idea, or desire to put together a team to implement the idea and create a completed film. The final product reflects the creativity and hard work of the producer, director and the entire group of creative talent. The producer is the sentinel at the intersection of art and commerce. The person who is prepared to take the gamble on a creative hunch and drive it forward to the screen. There is a 100 year heritage of vision and hard work by producers. The rights of the producer must be protected and treated with the same respect as other credits in the motion picture business. The “producer credit” is not something you negotiate. It is something you earn.   - Chandran Rutnam

 

 

 

By Ramesh Uvais