In writer-director Halitha Shameem’s films, stories continue even after the end rolls in

Bengaluru: The world that writer-director Halitha Shameem creates for us is as interconnected as nature itself. It’s a world where characters and places move from one film to another. And like life, it’s a world with infinite possibilities – stories continue even after the end rolls in.

“It is because I am never done with something entirely. Sometimes, when I spend time with a character or in a place, I find so many fascinating facets that I cannot do justice to them in just a film. So, I carry them forward. Naturally, they have a common thread running through them,” Shameem says.

The brilliance of Shameem is in how she lets us unravel that common thread. Shameem, like a seasoned auteur, buries clues in her films, letting us discover them in leisure.

For instance, her first film ‘Poovarasam Pee Pee’, released in 2014, was set in and around Pollachi. A coming-of-age story unlike any other, the film traces the escapades of three middle-school boys and close friends. The first half of the film sees the boys pottering about the fictional town, pulling pranks and lazing around – much like the three men in ‘Dil Chahta Hai’, an early 2000s iconic coming-of-age story in Hindi.

But soon, the boys come across the crux of the film – the crime they witness. Purpose enters their playful existence and the boys start playing detectives, discovering not only clues, but also new perspectives to life.

Of the characters that brush past the boys as they go about their lives is a man selling ‘Aelay’ ice lollies on a bicycle. The boys make a passing reference to the man’s son Parthi, presumably their classmate. In 2014, this was just a scene in a film. In 2021, ‘Aelay’ turns into a full-length feature film.

We go back to that same fictional town, like the lead character – none other than Parthi, of course – who returns home, as Shameem takes us on a journey that is familiar yet different. This time, she tells the story of a complex relationship between father and son, in a voice that is refreshingly irreverent. The ice box that we come across fleetingly in ‘Poovarasam Pee Pee’ anchors ‘Aelay’ in our consciousness this time.

"Often, ideas come to me when I am in the middle of something. Although films are released years apart, I develop the projects simultaneously. For instance, I was working on ‘Sillu Karuppati’, released in 2019, and ‘Aelay’ at the same time. Leaving traces are not only easy, but also inevitable,” says Shameem.

In case you are wondering, in Sillu Karuppati too, Shameem sneaks in tongue-in-cheek references, giving you plenty of opportunities to play detective when you watch the film. For instance, the segment featuring actor Manikandan as a cancer patient sees him texting his fiancée about wanting to watch ‘Aelay’ with her. In the 2021 film, Manikandan plays the lead character Parthi.

"Well, in my next film ‘Minmini’, I have already introduced the character that you will see in my next-next film,” says Shameem, tongue firmly in cheek.

Unlike her other films, which despite their almost cultish status among her fans can at best be described as underrated, ‘Minmini’, slated for release soon, is already creating waves.

One, because Shameem has waited for the films' lead characters to grow up, for nearly seven years, to shoot the second segment. Like Richard Linklater did for 'Boyhood'. Interestingly, Linklater keeps popping into mind when you watch Shameem’s films. Her characters too discuss in leisure the philosophies of life. Especially, in her segment ‘Loners’ for Amazon Prime’s anthology on life during Covid titled ‘Putham Pudhu Kaalai Vidiyaadhaa’.

Two, because A R Rahman’s daughter Khatija makes her debut as music director of the film.

Although Shameem agrees that Khatija’s legacy did play a part in their coming together, she says she zeroed in on Khatija because of the new sound that she brings to the table.

“I have always gone that extra mile to have something different, musically. Everyone knew Pradeep Kumar can sing beautifully. But it was for ‘Sillu Karuppati’ that he composed music for the first time. All my films were a refreshing addition to the existing film orchestration. Trust me when I say Khatija is much more than her legacy. She is really talented,” says Shameem.

Musically, Shameem is certainly on to something. What she describes as “minimalist” lets her set an extremely modern tone to her template. For instance, ‘Aelay’, set in rural milieu, has that customary folksy wail sung by Kaber Vasuki in its funeral scene. But when set against the lilt of the guitar, the song turns into an ‘alternative-indie’ rendition, bringing to mind the likes of Coldplay and Damien Rice.

During the film's release, composer Aruldev had gone on record about how he used a hand drum and duduk in 'Poovarasam', again something more common in world music than Kollywood, to create a new soundscape. Pradeep Kumar also sets a different tone in 'Sillu', by opening with an accordion interlude, rarely used in film orchestration, much less as a leading instrument, for the title track.

With very little information about Shameem in the public domain, it is very easy to assume that such a deliberate and confident style that she has cultivated is a result of being an industry insider. Especially considering she made her debut in her mid-20s. But Shameem laughingly sets aside such misconceptions.

"I agree that I am privileged, because when I told my family that I wanted to become a film director, they supported me unconditionally. But I am a newcomer to the industry. Initially, when I tried to learn the craft as assistant director, I had a hard time convincing people. And when I did get opportunities, often I had to leave midway because of the gender bias. But I never gave up,” the 36-year-old says.

It was when she came across directors like Pushkar-Gayathri, Mysskin and Samuthirakani, she said, things fell into place for her. “I came into my own when assisting Pushkar-Gayathri with their film ‘Oram Po’. The experience really helped me understand the nitty-gritty of filmmaking. They too understood clearly where I stand artistically and later produced ‘Aelay’,” adds Shameem.

Films as a career, she said, was something that she aspired for only because she thought her writing would have a bigger audience. “I am a writer first. I began writing poems and stories very young. Initially, I used to pester people around me to read them. I think when I was about eight years old, it sort of dawned on me that if I make my stories into films, people will flock into theatres to see them and that I don’t have to ask them to read. My obsession with films began then,” she says.