Actress Santhi Balachandran has returned to Kochi with her film after a hectic stint at film festivals in Neuchatel, Switzerland and London. Aneneum(Now and Forever) Directed by Shalini Ushadevi. The film won the International Critics Award at the Neuchatel International Fantastic Film Festival (NIFFF) and had its international premiere at the London Indian Film Festival.
Santhi is not excited about the response Aneneum What happened in Europe, the discussions it sparked and most importantly, being a part of the film. She says it was an experience that was “as challenging as it was rewarding.” Her eyes light up when she talks about it AneneumHis admiration for director Shalini Ushadevi was evident.
The film, first screened at the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK), 2023, is a multi-layered approach that questions the notion of ‘eternal love’ at a very simple level and what ‘forever’ means in the context. The questions asked are universal, which explains the resonance at international festivals, argues Santhi.
“The film explores many things – like the larger implication of ‘forever love’. It is also a contemplation on marriage, love, children… Shalini has explored various aspects in the film. Even when I read the script for the first time in 2019, I found it very interesting,” she says.
Santhi recalls how, when she read the script, she was very keen to take on the role.
Santhi with director Shalini Ushadevi | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
“Devi’s (her character in the film) arc is interesting; the characterisation in the film is rich. As a director, Shalini knows exactly what she wants from her actors, and she extracts that from us,” Santhi said, referring to her and co-star Anoop Mohandas’ work in the film. Anoop plays Devi’s partner Ouso, with whom she embarks on a three-day ‘forever’ experiment. Based on the experiment, the couple has to decide how the idea of living forever without death works for them.
Aneneum The film has been a long time coming, “The film is set in an alternate, dystopian present, where technology follows a different trajectory. I have kept Devi with me for five years; four years of which I had to wait for filming to begin. Shalini has waited even longer since 2011, when she wrote the story.” She calls Shalini a “one-woman army” who has been fighting every step of the way to make the film.
Though Santhi joined the film in 2019 itself, the film finally got made only in 2023. The film was made on a very low budget, with Shalini playing multiple roles – director, writer, production designer and of course, producer. The film was shot for two weeks in Bengaluru with a cast and crew of over 20 people. A two-week acting workshop helped the actors get into character.
“We shot at Chuzhi, a house designed by architect Vinu Daniel in Shoolagiri, Bengaluru, which was a great fit for the theme. The architecture is such that it communicates a sense of claustrophobia and the spirals that form part of the design are a perfect representation of time!” she says about the house.
Santhi Balachandran | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Santhi, a postgraduate in anthropology from Oxford University, entered films through theatre as part of a Foreplay Society production. the loverAn adaptation of Harold Pinter’s 1962 classic. Dominic Arun, director of his first released film, Tharangamand Prem Shankar, who directed RanduparBoth of them saw the play and got their roles almost simultaneously. Until then, they had not thought of a career as an actor.
Over the years she has been a part of Malayalam movies such as Jallikattu, Aha, Papum Cheythavar Kallariatte, Chathuram And GenieShe is one of those actresses who works in art and commercial cinema with equal ease.
She acknowledges her privilege, which allows her to be choosy about her projects, “Thankfully, because of my parents’ support, I am in a position to be choosy about my projects. If I didn’t have that, it wouldn’t have worked.”
He agrees that the current interest in Malayalam cinema and content provides space and opportunities for artistes to collaborate across industries and media. He starred in the Disney+Hotstar release, Gulmoharwhich “opened up my horizons as an actor” and the Tamil comedy series on Amazon Prime Video, Sweet Caramel CoffeeWhich was dubbed in Malayalam, Telugu, Kannada and Hindi.Sweet Caramel CoffeeFor example, it opened the doors of the overseas audience for me and helped me build a connection with them.” Just as she is enjoying working in other industries, she would love to work more in Malayalam.
Santhi’s next project is a Malayalam web series by Krishna R.K. Sambhav Vivaranam Nalarasangham – History on 4.5 GangHe also worked on a film script with her Tharangam The director is Dominic Arun. The film will go on the floors in September.
