‘Madhyantara’: How Late Dinesh Shenoy Became a National Award Winner with Kannada Movies of the Past

At 54, Dinesh Shenoy found his purpose. Two years later, he proved how you’re never too old to start over. The 56-year-old’s filmmaking dreams are at an all-time high after his Kannada short film midway Won two national awards this year. Dinesh won the best debut director award, while veteran Suresh Urs bagged the best editor award.

midway Two passionate film lovers who do odd jobs before getting their big break in the film industry. The story resembles Dinesh’s rollercoaster journey that eventually lands him in the field of filmmaking.

Hailing from Bantwal, a small town 30 km from Mangaluru in Karnataka, Shenoy grew up watching Kannada movies of all genres. He was drawn to photography but was asked to run a family business selling air conditioners. “I had no business acumen. It was not my cup of tea,” recalls Shenoy.

After seven years, the shift to Delhi became the first turning point in his life. “You know how parents thought about their children’s careers at that time. I built up the courage to tell my father that I want to do what I love. I attended a crash course in cinematography in Noida. I wanted to start from ground zero, so I started working as a light guy and focus puller before working as a freelance cinematographer for a few years.”

Dinesh Shenoy receiving National Award for Best Debut Director. | Photo credit: Special Arrangements

Later, shooting commercial videos for popular companies taught him many lessons in storytelling. “I was able to convey the USP of a product with innovative videos that were slightly longer than the ad,” he says. While the new phase of life kept Dinesh busy, the film buff in him remained intact.

He took the film business a step further by getting an opportunity to become a line producer of a Hindi film. “Whenever a Bollywood film was shot in Delhi, I was the production executive. My job was to ensure that the shoot went smoothly,” he says. During this period, Shenoy’s meeting with Ashutosh Gowariker gave him a new perspective on filmmaking.

“I worked with him homeland (2004) and Jodha Akbar (2008). I had no idea what a call sheet was. put the post, The idea of ​​having multiple assistant directors with specific roles became common in the film industry. Some of these lessons I include in my shoots. Such a system brings clarity to the sets followed,” he explains.

“Ashutosh is a dear friend today. He is an avid reader, and whenever he visits Delhi, he calls me to check out new bookstores in the city,” adds Shenoy.

Suresh Urs receiving National Award for Best Editor. | Photo credit: Special Arrangements

Working with the legendary Wes Anderson as a production assistant Darjeeling Limited It was another unforgettable experience for Shenoy. “I will never forget his fascination with the iconic Ambassador car. He would often ask with the excitement of a child, ‘Dinesh, when can I sit in the ambi?’ Wes was also keen to explore India, as it was his first visit,” says Shenoy

Also read:Wes Anderson’s ‘Asteroid City’: An Oasis of Wonder

The Covid-19 pandemic was a blessing in disguise for Shenoy as he got time to watch several interviews with veteran Kannada film actors and filmmakers. “In an interview, producer RF Manikchand, who had many hits with famous actor Ambarish, spoke about his love for films. Living in Chikkamagaluru, he could not afford the 50 paise ticket price. He had 25 paisa, and his friend could afford 25 paisa. So one of them saw the first half, the other saw the second. Later, they will share what they have seen with each other.

gave birth to the legend midway “I thought it was an interesting idea. The short film revolves around the concept of two halves of a film. Viresh and Ajay Neenasam are fantastic as two film lovers growing up in the 1970s. A mufswal works as a waiter in a small eatery in a town, They like to watch movies.

What happens when they can afford a movie ticket? After working hard as a waiter in a small eatery, destiny landed them in the film industry. Will they thrive in a cut-throat world?

A still from ‘Madhyantara’. | Photo credit: Special Arrangements

midway This is a Kannada movie song from the 80s. Shenoy’s extensive research has paid dividends as he has recreated iconic moments from history such as scenes from the classic filming of Dr Rajkumar. Hossa Belaku And the glow of Ambarish at the shooting spot.

Collaborating with Sashidhar Adapa, the well-known art director, gave Shenoy confidence. “He was excited to do a period film. Adpa was the sense of the era. We used all the props, including clapboards, that we witnessed in the ’80s.”

Editor Suresh Urs, once a regular collaborator with Mani Ratnam (dishes, Roja, Bombay, Iruvar, And gave it) There was another important addition to the film. “He was so valuable to the project. He traveled with me on this journey and provided input at every turn of the production.

Since we shot the entire movie on celluloid, Urs was thrilled to edit the footage because the project took him so early in his career. He always used to say that ‘in digital filmmaking, directors take a lot of shots and the actors get visibly tired because of it. On celluloid, making is precise.”

Shenoy briefed his cinematographer Sunil Borkar to keep the visuals straight. “We wanted to Mediators Looks like an 80s movie. There are no gimmicky visuals. We used less gadgets, and the film has a crane shot and a few trolley shots,” he explains.

After being screened at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa, the film competed at the National Film Awards. to create midway The proof-of-concept short film was a wise decision, feels Shenoy. “I want to make a feature film. Instead of narrating a script to a producer, I thought it would be better to showcase my team’s capabilities through a short film. With this, the producer can judge my writing skills and understand what kind of image I can create on screen.