Members of the Problematic Family director R Gowtham says he owes a lot to torrent sites; calls for film appreciation

In an interview with Hindustan Times, R Gowtham talks about his film, Members of the Problematic Family, its film festival run, and the culture of funerals.

Tamil indie film Members of the Problematic Family was recently showcased on the opening night of the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne after its premiere at the Berlin International Film Festival. R Gowtham, the director of the film, tells Hindustan Times how Tamil Nadu's funeral culture inspired his film and settles the debate between indie and mainstream cinema.

A still from R Gowtham's indie film Members of the Problematic Family.

Gowtham says he owes a lot to torrent sites

Before the government crackdown on torrenting sites, it was the Wild West for India. The Indian audience suddenly discovered a new medium to watch cinema and developed an appetite for it. Gowtham says he was no different. “I owe a lot to Torrents and Pirate Bay. I had a lot of leisure time that I didn’t have in school or college while preparing for competitive exams. I was away from home, and there was nobody to question me,” he says, adding, “I was able to read and watch movies, which is where it all began.”

Gowtham has since spent decades being involved in filmmaking in some form or another. From shooting corporate videos and material for NGOs to short documentaries and documenting grief during the COVID-19 pandemic, he has done it all. “I wasn’t afraid (during the pandemic). The world came to a standstill, people were dying, everything was uncertain, and I documented it all. Eventually, I decided to venture into feature films because I knew I had more in me. I knew I wanted to tell something more. That’s how I decided to make Members of the Problematic Family,” says the filmmaker.

Members of the Problematic Family director R Gowtham.

On Tamil Nadu’s funeral culture

Members of the Problematic Family sees a motley crew of characters deal with the death of a troubled and troublesome young man. “It’s very personal,” says Gowtham when asked about the story. “The themes are familiar, and there was a little fabrication to mould them.” The filmmaker also says funeral culture is very familiar in Tamil Nadu, in the sense that popular names get a public send-off, complete with a live telecast. “It’s morbid, but I often joke about wanting at least one lakh people to see me off after my death,” he says.

When the former chief minister of TN, CN Annadurai, died, around 15 million people gathered, making a Guinness World Record for the largest funeral gathering. “I went to Karunanidhi and Jayalalithaa’s funerals myself, to feel the grief with my fellow men. It’s just the kind of love people have for them,” explains Gowtham, adding, “It’s in the Tamil psyche. But the funeral in my film is not as grand. It is contemporary and much more current.”

Calls for film appreciation in India

Gowtham might have made his feature film debut, but he says it’s stupid to compete with mainstream cinema or expect the same kind of attention. He sounds sorted when he says that he has no plans of complaining about it either. “If the film is good, it’ll find its audience in time. You have a day job, apply for funds and do what you need to do to make the film. Indie films don’t even fall under the same ecosystem as mainstream films in India. There’s a sense of nobody will watch your film or buy it,” he says candidly.

Gowtham says that making the audience watch an indie film would be punishing. “Two hours will feel like 15 years unless they’ve already heard that it’s a great film. Your film might need the attention that they might not be able to provide. However, it all begins with them also reading, showing interest and understanding protests. I don’t know how certain people will watch my film. I don’t want to show it to them, too. But show good films in schools and colleges if you want things to change. Don’t hide good movies; people have a right to watch them. Film appreciation must be inculcated,” he says.

Inspired by an error in a newspaper article reporting his film, Gowtham has decided that his next film will be called Members of the Problematic Society.