Sanal Kumar Sasidharan

Some Lesser Known Facts About Sanal Kumar Sasidharan

• Sanal Kumar Sasidharan is an Indian poet, filmmaker and lawyer who is known for directing the film Sexy Durga in 2017 which has received many international awards.

• In an interview, he revealed that when he was a child, he was aware of all the verses from the Sunderkanda of the Ramayana and used to recite them.

  

• His father wanted him to become a doctor which is why he studied Zoology. When he told his father that he wanted to study filmmaking, his father denied him, and later, he took admission to law.

  

• When he was in college, he was the unit secretary of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), that is a student organization associated with the Bharatiya Janata Party. Later, he left the party due to some differences and became a critic of the Bharatiya Janata Party.

  

• In 2001, he came up with the idea of a film society that could make independent movies through crowd funding. He formed a society, Kazhcha Chalachithra Vedi, with his colleagues. He has directed three short films and one feature film through crowdfunding.

• He started his film career as an art assistant in the Malayalam film Mankolangal in 2000. In an interview, he said that when he started his career as a filmmaker, he used to follow John Abraham‘s style of filmmaking. He further said,
  

  I had no idea how to make a film and how to find a producer. I was keenly watching these kinds of film society movements, the Odessa film movement. I read books about John Abraham, about his parallel way of filmmaking and his philosophy of the “people’s cinema.” But I wasn’t following all this practically. Then I tried to make a film on my own and approached a lot of people, but no one was willing to produce it.”

• His film Sexy Durga became the first Indian film to win the Hivos Tiger Award at International Film Festival Rotterdam 2017.

• He directed other short films including Parole (2008), Frog (2012), Ozhivudivasathe Kali (2015), Chola (2019), and Vazhakku (2021).

  

• In an interview, he said that the scripts he wrote were just fifteen to twenty pages. He further added,
  

  A location gives a lot of inputs. My scripts are usually just 10-15 pages. Ahr Kayattam’s script itself isn’t more than 25 pages. So, there is a lot of space for the location and artistes to contribute. It’s basically because I am someone who likes to view cinema in a spiritual plane. That’s something that I have understood from experience. I have always felt that cinema gives you more energy than you put in. My style is to observe and record that.”

• In 2016, Sanal tweeted about P.V Sindhu winning a second silver medal at Olympics 2016. The tweet that he made in Malayalam was criticized by many people. He wrote, ‘Everyone is celebrating Sindhu’s achievement now. What if I spit on this? What is there to celebrate much about it?’

  

• In 2017, the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), asked Sanal to change the name of the film Sexy Durga to S Durga. He filed a writ petition before the Kerala high court against the action taken by the I&B ministry. In an interview, he talked about this and said,
  

  This is how right-wing politics works. They need not even watch a work of art to put a ban on it. Prejudice is a part of their politics. It is the same kind of judgment they always have against the other. You could be thrashed or killed simply for growing a beard, no matter who you are or what you do. They would not even bother asking before attacking you. This is quintessential fascism, isn’t it?”

• Reportedly, the film ‘Kayyattam’ (2020), directed by him was shot on an iPhone in the Himalayas.

  

• In 2019, he decided to withdraw his film, ‘Chola’ from the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK). In an interview, he talked about the removal of his film and said,
  

  Chola has been invited to the Kaleidoscope section in the 24th IFFK. I am much humbled by the invitation but I have sent a mail stating that I am withdrawing the film from the festival, protesting against its overtly biased and unprofessional way of selection process in the Malayalam Cinema Today section. I believe that, it would be huge irresponsibility from my part to participate in the festival which is openly biased and outdated in its selection process.”

• He is a passionate animal lover and often posts pictures of them on social media.

  

• He is often featured in various newspapers.

  

• He is often spotted drinking alcohol on various occasions.