To start discussing Saramsha, I think it is necessary to briefly introduce the writer and director himself Surya Vasishta. An artist who has worked on many different projects such as Tamassu, Lucia, U-Turn, Badmaash, Gantumoote, Shivaji Surathkal and Swati Muttina Male Haniye (the latest one), he has served in various roles like being an assistant director and even acted.
With a background in corporate film making , short films domain and handling international talents in talk shows across many countries while having worked in VFX too shows that his skill set is multi faceted. But his work on Saramsha marks the beginning of his career as a full fledged director which according to him was made not for mass but intellects who enjoy story telling over fine juice where every sip counts till you completely immerse yourself into it.
The author of this book is Surya Vasishta, also known as the writer and director of this tale. He has also played a role by limiting his characters so as to engage more into imaginative world of storytelling . Tejas Pandith (Deepak Subramanya) a dutiful son has abandoned his writing passion due to parents’ disapproval; while Abhay( Surya Vasishta), burdened with paternal insecurities constantly seeks validation until one day their paths cross unexpectedly.
Are they able to help each other overcome their struggles or are They just figments imagination? Could one be scripting the other’s tale? Before moving forward let us ask ourselves if path leads destinations we desire or whims life But choice matter at all?
More than anything else, Saramsha reads like a novel interspersed with metaphors and cultural references amidst whirlwind emotions. The convergence of parallel universes absurdly adds spices to storytelling norms. This transition from literature imagination onto visual presentation comes with its fair share of challenges as seen in the narrative.
Surya Vasishta skillfully explores the magical realism genre. He does this by traversing through two worlds that run concurrently thereby giving life to screen depth; fusing reality and fantasy hence bringing freshness on board; though being a mirror of simple story about ourselves and our society which helps us discover living choices forced upon destiny. The game played between imagination and reality switching between Kannada and English conversations may not sit well with everyone’s preference.
It is designed to bring out the complexity in Tejas’ identity as well as the internal conflict he experiences due to familial expectations versus personal passions. Tejas finds himself drawn towards writing despite his mother who is an author herself telling him that he was adopted and discouraging him from taking it up because she knows what it entails. The struggle of choosing between following father’s profession (Chartered Accountant) or listening to inner voice which yearns for artistic expression particularly through literature certainly forces one into self inquiry about self-discovery process vis-a vis fulfillment.
Another interesting aspect is when publisher Raksha(Shweta Gupta) reveals her wish of being recognized as Kannadiga even though she can’t speak the language fluently. This crisis over cultural identity hits home for Tejas who hails from Bengaluru torn between his heritage language(Kannada )and comfort zone English thus reflecting an inner war.
Even though the film focuses on the technicalities and loses grip on emotions at some point, it quickly picks up again so that the viewers do not get bored. Here is where Surya’s dual role as an actor and director becomes useful. Moreover, performances by Sruthi Hariharan (Maya), Deepak Subramanya (another character name), Shweta Gupta and Surya Vasishta himself among others contribute to its overall impact. Aparajith Sri’s music score sets a chilling mood for the story.
Such movies may be experimental but they are necessary in today’s cinema scene and therefore deserve support. Is there any other point of view about this film? Does it leave one with satisfaction akin to reading a good book, watching an interesting play or having deep talk with your loved ones? I don’t know. But irrespective of what you might think or feel about this movie called Saramsha. it makes us think about life’s puzzles and decisions we make along our journey through life.
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