Directing
The concept of Panchabhuta - 5 elements - is central to Indian speculative thought. A group of people, in a fictional space and time, performs a ritual to evoke the essence of these fundamental elements of existence. Mudras (hand gestures) become the vehicle in the act of offering whereas Naad (Sound) becomes pivotal in the exploration of life and beyond.
Vaikhari, which in Sanskrit means intelligent and articulate utterances, primarily focusses on "padhant" which is the art of recitation of mnemonic syllables used in Hindusthani Classical Music and Dance. The film incorporates different artistic streams in allusion to padhant, thereby aiming at a profound aesthetic experience of rhythmic utterances in its multiple manifestations. Kalidasa's immortal Meghdootam serves a template for narrative development while creating a realm of different temporal designs fabricated by various rhythmic elements (percussion, dance) where padhant lies at the nucleus of contemplation and subsequent artistic expansion.
A saga of a woman from her disturbed childhood to a soul-searching adulthood through an existential gender identity crisis. Niharika, the house amidst a vast, empty landscape, is where she finds solace on earth.
Shiva, an audio installation artist visits the largest coal mines of Eastern India – plagued by depleting natural resources and a burning fire in his belly. However, he succumbs to the highly complex socio-political system and moves to a tribal village in the forest. There, he questions his urban view and fundamental notion of self. Water, as an element, forms the labyrinth of his quest for truth.
