R Gowtham credits torrent sites for his film education

Hindustan Times reports that Tamil indie filmmaker R Gowtham says he owes his film education to torrent sites and Pirate Bay. In an interview, he said he used the platforms during his exam preparation years to watch movies and read widely, which sparked his interest in filmmaking. His debut feature, 'Members of the Problematic Family', premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival and was the opening-night film at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne.

The film draws on Tamil Nadu's funeral culture. Gowtham described funerals as a familiar theme in the state, where popular leaders draw massive crowds. He recalled attending the funerals of former chief ministers M Karunanidhi and J Jayalalithaa to share public grief. The director said his film's funeral is smaller and more contemporary.

On the indie-mainstream divide, Gowtham said competing with big-budget films is pointless. He stressed that good films will find audiences over time and called for schools and colleges to show good cinema to build film appreciation. His next film, inspired by a newspaper error, will be titled 'Members of the Problematic Society'.