Dolcy D’Cruz
Porvorim-based Suvrata V Nasnodkar, a film school graduate from ‘Whistling Woods International’, recently completed her first project under her storytelling start-up, ‘Backyard Movies’, a 20 minutes short film titled ‘Lost but Found’ in Hindi. The film stars the 87-year old legendary dancer and actor Helen, alongside prolific actors like Farida Jalal and Rajshri Deshpande. Focused on the mental health of senior citizens, the film addresses issues such as depression, loneliness, anxiety and declining health among the aging population. Suvrata hopes to showcase the film across international film festivals this year. “Through our modest film, we’re trying to primarily touch on the emotional, psychological and a range of physical illness concerning those the aging population faces across the globe. It’s a growing concern for the society in the current times. We hope to highlight how each generation needs the other and has a shared responsibility towards each other. Compassion being an important unifier. We wish to change some hearts with this small film,” she says. Working with Helen was a transformative experience for Suvrata. “To be working with Helen ma’am was a blessing. Just to watch her dedication and enthusiasm, even at the age of 87, was awe-inspiring. Got to learn so much from her and also heard some fun stories of her yesteryears. In fact, we tried giving her character a very different look and feel, much different from all of her past performances. She really became our guardian at one time,” she recalled. Suvrata approached Helen after a friend suggested reaching out to legendary actresses in their golden years on reading her script. “She surprised me by saying a prompt ‘yes’ right into our first meeting and came in strongly to support the social cause of the mental health of senior citizens. She was extremely kind to me and my team. Though the circumstances of the shoot days weren’t very easy, she made us all feel very comfortable. I will forever cherish this memory of making the first project of my start-up with her,” she said. The preparation for Helen’s role was meticulous. “I told her, ‘ma’am, but there is a violin involved. So we’ll have to have seven, eight classes with you. We actually gave her few classes before we started shoot. Milind Raikar, a violinist from Goa who tutors many actors in Mumbai, guided her on set,” Suvrata explains. Helen embraced the challenge enthusiastically. “She took it up as a good challenge. She’s very positive about life, given whatever situations she’s gone through. Certain things up and down happened on set, but it never affected her. She just dances through her experiences,” she adds. On set, Helen combined strict professionalism with warmth. “At one time, she would literally scold us, make sure we were on time. At another time, she was very much like a grandmother, almost taking our mistakes onto herself. She had her naughty streaks, she was jolly, sweet, never had tantrums as such. She was more spirited than all of us put together. That young vibe of hers was really charming,” Suvrata says. Suvrata reflected on the uniqueness of the experience. “I had never worked with an old actor in my life. The closest was when I handled Amitabh Bachchan on the sets of Prakash Jha, as an Assistant Director then. But with Helen, she just surrendered to the craft. She never had any reservations at all,” she says. Beyond this short film, Suvrata hopes to continue creating meaningful stories and nurturing other storytellers. “Though my banner, Backyard Movies, is in a nascent stage right now, my vision is to build a legacy of stories and empower more storytellers like me, in whatever way I can make it possible. I’ve also always wanted to make a Konkani film someday, connecting back to my birthplace Goa, would be a wonderful gift. Next in the pipeline is a full-length Hindi feature film project in collaboration with a well-known Mumbai based studio,” she reveals. The name ‘Backyard Movies’ is inspired by Suvrata’s maternal grandmother’s backyard, where she spent her childhood listening to her grandmother narrate mythological tales, folklores and stories from her life as a professor and freedom fighter. “She was indeed my first storyteller. With this start-up, I hope to explore stories that celebrate the teachings, wisdom, values and a strong sense of spirit she planted in my soul during my many thought-provoking summer vacations spent with her,” she concludes.
