Interview
Madhu R
Writer, Producer
Madhu R
Director (India)

Madhu submitted film "Death Offers Life". The story is the fictional account of the last five minutes of the acclaimed painter Vincent Van Gogh who was a failure in his lifetime. Death who has come to take him makes an offer which Van Gogh rejects and accepts the hands of death gracefully.

— Tell us a little about your experience? Was it only a film connected or you did/do something else?
— I am a writer from 1989 and have published four books, besides I am employed with the Government of India for the past 32 years.
— What inspired you to make your short film? How did you come up with that idea?

— The story of this film was published in a book (“Glimpses of life through Cobweb“) in 2015. No one noticed it except for one Mr. Brian Wrixon, a Canadian poet and dramatist. In his review about my book he mentioned this story (Vincent Van Gogh meets death). In 2018 an actor became interested in this story and wanted to do the film. He put down a condition that being an unknown writer I should bear 20% of the cost and he would arrange the balance funds. I agreed but the project got delayed due to a flood in Kerala. It was revived in 2019 and I agreed to bear the full cost. Later I fell out with his director and found out about Saheer Abbas. He changed the cast and did an exceptional job in creating an excellent film.
The idea behind the story was the pathetic condition of Vincent Van Gogh during his lifetime. His paintings were not accepted when he was alive. He could sell only one painting then. He suffered from poverty in spite of being a gifted artist. He also was insane probably due to the frustration in being an unaccepted artist. Everything changed after his death. The fortune that evaded him went to all who had his paintings. The cost of one painting itself is sufficient for ten generations. It was this irony that made me write this story.
—Tell us how it was to produce your film?

— The funds were borrowed from a bank. It cost me nearly $6000. Of course I wrote the script. Everything else was decided by the director Saheer Abbas. I made a suggestion that quality should not be compromised. I asked him to give me a good art product. I also referred to some Spanish movies where the visuals are excellently shot. Then Abbas brought in Noushad Shereef who works in the Malayalam movie industry and who was also a state award winner for best photographer for a television serial. A room was set in European style and the film was shot using Black Magic pocket camera using only candle lights.
“Death Offers Life" has outstanding script
— Do you have a dream?

— Yes, to produce more films based on my scripts. Another dream is others asking for my script.
— Did you have funny moments on the set? Or scary?

— I went to the shooting site on the compulsive and respectful request of Abbas. The shooting was taking some 130 miles away from my home. The shooting began in the morning and finished by evening. I was there only for about 30 minutes. Hearing the actors speaking my written words was an extraordinary experience but thankfully not scary.
— What is your favorite film?

— "The Good the Bad and the Ugly", by Sergio Leone is a master director of western films. He fills his lengthy shots with the mesmerising music of Ennio Morricone. A great entertainer who brings the viewer back and back to the same film.
— Give advice for those who want to make a film, but don't know from where to start?
— Film making is a costly matter and fund crunch would compromise quality. As the risk is high, borrowed funds should be avoided. The best way is to find like minded persons, pool funds and go for a project. Try to make a subject that catches global attention so that you would get at least selected to festivals world over.
Made on
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