A four-day retrospective, Samagama, will be held at Suchitra Film Society, where actor-director Suchendra Prasad's films will be screened

The Hindu

30-04-2025

Voicing Silence, a film production company, founded by actor-director and theatre practitioner Suchendra Prasad and Suchitra Film Society, Bengaluru, join hands to organise a four-day retrospective of the actor's body of work, titled Samagama. The event commences on May 1 to mark Suchendra's birthday and continues till May 4 and will screen six films written and directed by him including Prapaatha, Ekachakram (Sanskrit), Ekachara (Kannada), Sangdhigdha, Maabvu Bevu and his yet-to-be-released directorial venture, Padma Gandhi.
Besides this, the event also aims to celebrate every medium the actor has worked in for over three-decade including theatre, cinema, Sanskrit and child rights. These topics will be the focus of discussions, activities and events by theatre and film personalities and Sanskrit scholars from Karnataka.
Suchendra, who ventured into theatre in the early 90s made his film debut in Girish Karnad's Kanooru Heggadithi (1999). This paved the way for him to switch between parallel cinema and theatre, working with directors including BV Karanth and DR Ankur.
Not being able to sustain himself financially, with parallel cinema and theatre, drove Suchendra to commercial cinema. He was successful, shining in roles as a comedian, cop, hen-pecked husband or a judge. While on one side he was sharing the screen with stars such as Malashri (Election), Yash (Drama) or Darshan (Roberrt) on the other, he continued to work and thrive in parallel cinema with films such as Haggada Kone and Bettada Jeevi.
Speaking from Ahmedabad, where his Sanskrit language full-length feature film, Ekachakram was screened at the Ahmedabad International Film Festival 2025, Suchendra says, he is humbled by Samagama.
'The event is organised by my colleagues and friends from theatre and cinema, Sanskrit scholars, writers that I have worked with during my professional journey.' Grateful to Suchitra for providing their space and collaborating for this festival, Suchendra says, 'Having them on board has made this event easier to organise.'
His films may not have thrived at the box-office, but Suchendra says: 'tough as it is, I make cinema, because I am passionate about these issues. We have people who use the medium of cinema and theatre for entertainment, and wealth. I choose to use the medium to communicate about issues that touch me deeply. Visual media can become a tool to talk about burning issues such as child marriage, girl child education, our land, its history and heritage, which is what I have attempted to do. These issues are etched deep in my heart due to my past association with UNICEF.'
Suchendra worked as a media consultant with UNICEF (2008-2012) and directed documentaries about Child Rights Protection, UNDP (United Nations Development Programme (2016-18).
'During this tenure, I travelled extensively across every nook and corner of Karnataka and have seen these burning issues unfold in reality. These experiences, in a way, become a part of my screenplays.'
Despite his films not being able to bring in a huge box office returns, the director is not deterred. 'Success is a mindset and I believe I am successful, because despite knowing the genre goes against the tide, I make it a point to make them. Every film of mine is a result of five to 10 years of research.'
Ekachakram may not be commercially successful, Suchendra says, but the film garnered ample attention in the festival circuit. 'These are the types of stories that will live on forever, because they are unique Having said this, I am also grateful to my colleagues, who make commercial cinema and offer me roles in their films. It is because of them that I can put food on the table and afford to make the kind of films that I want to.'
His popularity as an actor in commercial cinema, Suchendra says, helps draw a certain amount of crowd to watch his films. 'I may not have been able to draw a huge crowd, but I am still thankful to every colleague in this medium for giving me work in their films. This way, at least I am being noticed as a director, after three decades in this medium.'
Numerous people have reached out to attend Samagama, Suchendra says. 'We have had such a positive response that we are also going virtual with the event, which again has a limited seatings left.' These stories, Suchendra says, have always existed with mainstream cinema, as there will always be an audience for every kind of film or a story.'
Suchendra says he he will continue to act in commercial cinema to fund making his kind of films. 'Weaving burning issues into a simple narrative and presenting it in the contemporary context with references to our heritage, is something I will keep doing. This is my way of raising a voice about the issues that have been around for over a century and the same questions are being asked even now.'
Samagama, May 1, at Suchitra FIlm Society is open to all. Call 9663993186 (RSVP). Virtual access, mail: [e-mail] and or visit Voicing Silence YouTube channel.