Speaking about his short film that is creating quite the stir on the festival circuit, director Anandmurthy said 'Sinam' starring Sai Dhansika and Bidita Bag is inherently about the respect our women deserve. The movie has already bagged many awards at the Calcutta Cult Film Festival, including a Best Actress Award for Dhansika, and continues its streak at California’s Best Shorts Competition.
The movie is about a prostitute who meets a short film director to tell her story, and is based on real life. “You might have seen several similar incidents but the perspective here is what makes 'Sinam' different. I think that's the reason behind the festival circuit accolades,” Anandmurthy said. Speaking about the lead, the filmmaker said he met Sai on the sets of 'Paradesi'. “When I approached her with the idea, she liked it and asked me for the script. And when she read it, she called me up and said that it is painful. She said she couldn't sleep reading it at night,” he said. “I had asked her if she could learn the lines. She said that she doesn't have the habit of mugging her lines but hat she will read it repeatedly and get the hang of it. Once she was ready we went for the shoot. I must really thank my producer. Not may people want to fund such a project.”
Refering to the film poster that flaunts Sai brandishing a cigarette. “Our society doesn't accept a woman smoking but a smoker can put his mouth on hers and kiss her. The story and emotions in 'Sinam' are very organic,” the filmmaker said. He clarified that his intent is not to create controversy. “I want my films should address larger issues such as oppression and slavery.”
