Sanal Kumar Sasidharan created his movie production company, Kazhcha Chalachithra Vedi, in 2001 with a group of friends. The movies are financed thanks to crowdfunding. He has even won the Golden Apricot Award at the Yerevan International Film Festival in 2017.
During an interview with Aravot, Sasidharan said that he does not believe he is famous, nor was becoming famous ever on his bucket list. “Making good films was a dream and ambition I had since childhood. Filmmaking is a tough and complex process, and I don’t think that it is easy for anybody. But I am humbled by the awards my films received,” the director said.
Aravot asked him to present his new film in detail, and to discuss his interest in Armenian topics and spiritual music. “I came to Armenia for the Golden Apricot International Film Festival. It gave me an excellent opportunity to see this marvelous country. I visited Geghard and listened to people singing traditional spiritual songs. It was amazing. When I heard the singing in Geghard, I knew that I found the music for my film. Then, I tried to research it, and that’s when I finally reached Lusine Hovhannisyan.”
He also said that he would like to continue collaborating with Armenian musicians and filmmakers. “Yes, of course. Armenia is a rich country in terms of culture and nature. I felt that the people are truthful and creative. Working with Lusine Hovhannisyan for Unmadiyude Maranam (Death of Insanity) was a fantastic experience for me. I would love to collaborate with more artists in Armenia. I am, in fact, planning to shoot another film in Armenia.”
Gohar Hakobyan
