CANNES, France—Resul Pookutty, who beat out Hollywood’s master technicians to land an Oscar for sound-mixing six years ago in Slumdog Millionaire is ready to join an illustrious global club for faith-themed films this year.
Pookutty arrived at the Cannes Film Festival on the first day to promote a new feature film on the life and teachings of Guru Nanak.
Co-produced by the Oscar winner, Nanak Shah Fakir has been mentored by Pookutty’s fellow Oscar awardee A.R. Rahman.
“This year, there are three films made internationally on spiritual figures, and one of them is from our country,” Pookutty says.
Starring Russell Crowe, Noah and Son of God by Christopher Spencer has already set the box office on fire with their release last March.
Nanak Shah Fakir is expected to hit the screens later this year.
“I joined the film project after seeing 40 minutes of the footage,” explains Pookutty about his involvement in the film.
“I was overwhelmed by the fact that the film’s producer, Harinder Singh Sikka, had never even seen a film set before he ventured to make Nanak Shah Fakir,” he adds.
After Pookutty decided to support the film, music composer Rahman followed suit.
The film’s original music is by Finnish musician Tuomas Kantelinen, who composed music for The Legend of Hercules. Uttam Singh and Pandit Jasraj have sung for the film, which is in Hindi.
“The film tells the extraordinary story of Guru Nanak,” says Pookutty, adding that he and the director came to Cannes so that the film gets a wider audience around the world.
Both Pookutty and the director are confident that the Cannes presence would help the film be selected for international festivals such as the Toronto International Film Festival in September.
For Delhi-based Harinder Singh, Toronto will be the ideal place for a world premiere because of the huge presence of Sikh-Canadians.
Pookutty, who has also done sound design for the film, insists that the film has a wider appeal “because it deals with a social subject rather than a spiritual one”.
Computer graphics have been used to portray the character of Guru Nanak, whose face is never shown in the film.
Pookutty joined the film project after Harinder Singh came to him on a recommendation from former head of National Film Archives of India, P.K. Nair.
“I immediately understood the significance of a feature film on Guru Nanak today’s time,” Pookutty says.
“Especially when it is told through a Muslim fakir from Pakistan.”
The Making of the Film
It’s a biopic on the teachings of the first Sikh Guru, Guru Nanak Dev, tentatively titled, Nanak Shah Fakir.
Since Guru Nanak cannot be represented figuratively, his philosophy has been drawn out through the life of Bhai Mardana, the first disciple, and lifelong companion of the First Sikh master.
Playing Mardana is the critically acclaimed actor, Arif Zakaria, who first gained popularity with his award-winning role of a hermaphrodite in Darmiyaan.
Guru Nanak’s birth place, Talwandi, now known as Nanakana Sahib of Punjab, Pakistan, has been recreated at Mullanpur, near Chandigarh, for the shoot.
Busy on the set, Zakaria noted, “It is exciting to learn that the Guru was a visionary and a humanist whose universal message is relevant even today, as it was free of all bigotry.”
He did not discount the fact that while preparing for the role the uncanny similarity between Sikhism and Islam unraveled for him.
Calling it as one of the most “challenging” roles of his career, Zakaria said the portrayal of Mardana called for great genius in acting.
“Bhai Mardana had begun sounding like Guru Nanak after some years since he was his constant escort. Hence, the character must have a high degree of serenity and poise,” pointed out Zakaria, who is practicing meditation to align his inner chaos into oneness with Mardana’s persona. “The role requires stillness and radiance of demeanor, so I learned meditation at a spiritual camp before shooting started.”
Though this is a period film tracing the history of Guru Nanak in the 16th century, it exploits modern machinery to highlight its message.
An integral part of Mardana, the musical instrument, Rabab, features eminently in the film. “I am learning to play the instrument. Since Guru Nanak’s philosophy was so lyrical, music is pivotal to the script,” the actor said.
