‘Pondicherry’- A Film Of Emotionally Tangled Lives And Heartwarming Stories; Kudos To The Director Sachin Kundalkar

 It always feels great when a film makes you connect with its characters and gives you relatable vibes from many angles. Sachin Kundalkar’s ‘Pondicherry’ is one of those films which is not beyond reality and has stacked up with uncanny incidences. It is a film of small stories told by relatable characters who are co-incidentally intertwined with the city of Pondicherry and their respective emotional baggage. 
 
Director Sachin Kundalkar who is known for films such as Gandha, Nirop, Aiyya, Gulamjam etc, is bravely attempted to shoot a feature film with only smartphones. ‘Pondicherry’ is the first Marathi feature film which is a fine example of his trendsetting experiment which vastly manages to match the technology of high-definition video cameras. Surprisingly, the final outcome of the film does not disappoint the audience in terms of cinematography, direction and creativity. Talking about the technical challenges of the film, Kundalkar says, “Since this whole movie was shot on smartphone, the obvious technical difference can be noticed. But, to maintain that balance and creativity we shot it pretty carefully and came up with a great result. This entire effort requires a lot of pre planning and precision schedule management. Kudos to the cinematographer Milind Jog.”
 
Not only just the screen capturing, but Kundalkar’s imagination of the city Pondicherry has been the talk of the town. From the aesthetic frames, screenplays, moment capturing to the establishment of the charters, everything is on point and managed to reflect a great impact on the audience’s heart. Be it the trailer of the film, the city has been playing the main plot and the backdrop simultaneously. Sachin further adds, “We were mesmerized by the beauty of the city and its multilingual society and that's what we have tried to portray through the film. The lifestyle, cuisine environment and the look all together have added extra charm in the narrative establishment.”
 
Sachin Kundalkar is known for his unique ways to introduce the characters in his films. In ‘Pondicherry’ also, one can find his signature way to develop a story through the main leads and the circumstances. While Vaibhav Tatwawadi ushers a mysterious character with twists and curiosity, Sai Tamhankar manages to pour depth as a single mother waiting for his partner to arrive. Adding to this, Amruta Khanvilkar’s simple yet deep character is nothing but a portrayal of the brilliant directorial mindset. In Kundalkar’s view, he mentions, “The versatility of the characters in the film came alive in reality because of the brilliant acting skills. The no-makeup looks, natural expressions and screenplays worked as icing on the cake”. He tried every possible way to express the dual versions of the characters and this is what appealed to the audience pretty well.