Imagine holding on to a dream for a decade, having unwavering faith in yourself, and giving it your all to see the other end of the tunnel. MinminiFilmmaker Halitha Shameem is on one such journey. This passion project began shortly after the release of her debut film. Poovarasam PPThe intention was to have the film’s child actors – Esther Anil, Praveen Kishore and Gaurav Kalai – grow up and play adult versions of their characters again. In 2022, Halitha shot the second part of the film, and now Minmini Finally ready to fly.
All these years, when he made other movies as well, Sillu Karupatti, AileOr Lonely (A section Putham Pudhu Kalai Vidyadha), Halitha did not miss any opportunity to speak MinminiHowever, with the constant evolution of the art form and audience, it’s natural for self-doubt to creep in, isn’t it?
Halitha Shameem and Khatija Rahman | Photo courtesy: Thamodharan B
it wasn’t like that Minmini“I could never detach myself from this story. Every time I finished another film and came back to see the footage, it would continue to thrill me and that was because of the emotion behind it; yes, the way we make films may change, but the emotions never change and the story always gave me that high,” says Halitha, adding that even when she shot the second part almost six years later, she did not want to tamper with the soul of her work. “Maybe I could have added some ideas like the lifestyle changes induced by the Covid-19 pandemic, but I never felt insecure.”
A scene from ‘Minmini’ | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
For Minmini Music has played a vital role in making this song such a big hit, as is evident from the trailer and songs. Halitha has benefited a lot by handing over the responsibility to debutant composer Khatija Rahman (singer and daughter of renowned composer AR Rahman).
Excerpts from the conversation:
Khatija, the songs of ‘Minimini’ are heart touching, especially ‘Iru Perum Nadhigal’. How did you feel when Halitha told her story?
Emotions. The story is a rollercoaster ride of emotions and that was my grip; I just wanted my music to be true to those emotions.
Since the story goes beyond the borders of Tamil Nadu to the Himalayas, was there any discussion on the basic genres of that geography?
I thought about doing that initially, and we even talked to a few composers about it. However, as the film’s composition progressed, we didn’t feel the need to do it.
Halitha, it seems your films are an attempt to understand grief, whether it is ‘Eela’, ‘Sillu Karupatti’, ‘Loners’, or ‘Minmini’ which deals with survivor’s guilt…
I’m glad you said that because people usually don’t understand the truth behind the ‘feel good’ factor of my films. I understand why they see it that way, but I have also depicted sadness. Minmini Mainly talks about sorrow and suffering.
Khatija Rehman and Halitha Shameem | Photo courtesy: Thamodharan B
It’s also interesting how your characters know how to express themselves and they do it in such a precise and poetic way. In ‘Loners’, a character talks about the pain of being unable to cry; in ‘Elle’, the opening dialogue tells you a lot about the character and her relationship with her father. We can see this in the trailer of ‘Minmini’ as well. Are you expressing through your characters what you yourself struggle to express?
Of course. Whenever I say something, I usually come back to it and think if I could have expressed it better, or if I left something out in that idea. But that’s not possible in real life, and because I have the flexibility to go back to the script and edit the dialogue, I’m able to express myself more clearly through my characters. Of course, sometimes I’m conscious not to spoon-feed the idea and try to be subtle. Also, I’m not confident enough to leave something as it is – without dialogue – believing that it will visually convey what I want.
Also, where does your love for birds come from? Often, films are only about humans, while birds and animals are all around us. Your characters in ‘Sillu Karupatti’ and ‘Eela’ show a lot of love for birds…
I like using birds as a metaphor, like the lyrics and visuals in the song ‘Sewanuke’. Aile. In Sillu KarupattiThe relationship between the crow and the man who heals its wounds is based on a true story, and it fascinated me. Interestingly, though, I wasn’t a big bird or animal lover back then; I was more interested in stories about humans interacting with birds and animals. But in the past two years, I have become an animal lover. I am now taking care of over 40 cats in my neighbourhood!
Stills from ‘Sillu Karupatti’ and ‘Aela’ | Photo Credit: Netflix
Khatija, once you knew what soundscape Halitha wanted for the film, did you watch any other titles to understand what was expected of you?
yes he showed me The Curious Case of Benjamin Button And The Secret Life of Walter Mitty,
He also inspired me to look at the work of Rachel Portman, the first female composer to win an Oscar. I watched Hans Zimmer’s masterclass, which helped me before I started working on the film. However, we also tried to break the mold; for example, we used a special Turkish instrument in some songs, which was quite interesting.
Be it composing music or managing people, at what point do you turn to your father A.R. Rahman for guidance?
I do that when a special situation arises, but nothing like that happened during that time. MinminiHe assured me that he would always be there if I needed anything. Also, since the director had some knowledge about music, I followed his line of thinking. Of course, my father gave some advice in general – not necessarily film-specific – which I tried to apply in this film. When you have such a wealth of knowledge in your home, it’s obvious that you learn whatever you can from them.
Khatija Rahman | Photo Credit: Thamodharan B
Halitha, now that your characters in ‘Minmini’ are young adults, would you like to make a film on their adult lives next?
First of all, I would like to clarify that this movie does not show how the children grow up to become young adults, which many people might misunderstand, since the same actors play the children and their adult versions.
Second, Minmini It doesn’t just talk about issues related to their age. When I Poovarasam PPI did think about making another film with these characters once they had grown up, but that was because the story lent itself to such an endeavor. MinminiIn this case, the story starts somewhere and ends somewhere else.
Halitha, after completing a decade as a filmmaker, what has changed in your approach to filmmaking?
I used to feel a bit insecure those days, rehearsing scenes over and over again and anxiously wondering if they would hold the audience’s attention. I used to keep thinking of elements that could make the scenes more exciting. Now, good or bad, I just trust myself and do what I believe in.
Minmini releases in cinemas on August 9
