Want something challenging as my next film: Ravi Udyawar

"Mom" famed director and ad filmmaker Ravi Udyawar says he wants something new and challenging as his next project.

"Mom" is a thriller about a woman who avenges a crime committed against her step-daughter.

Asked if he would be making films in the same genre as "Mom", Udyawar told IANS in an e-mail interview from Mumbai: "I want to explore different genres, something new and challenging as my next film. I am working on something really exciting and looking forward to making it."

Udyawar began his career as an illustrator. His work stints include handling art direction and visualisation at ad agencies, designing graphics for Channel V and MTV and eventually, directing ad films. He even directed the song "Dooba dooba" from Silk Route's album "Boondein".

He says there is a contrast in the process of directing commercials and films.

"For advertising, it is all external. Every second counts, every frame is set flawlessly to tell a story and sell a product. But directing movies is internal. What matters is that it is all about the characters and their emotions, and what's important is the narrative, the story and at the end of the day, its emotional takeout," he said.

Udyawar finds making movies a "liberating experience".

In his debut directorial "Mom", which was aired on Zee Cinema on January 14, Udyawar worked with veteran actress Sridevi, whom he calls a director's actor.

"Even on the sets of her 300th film, Sridevi was receptive to every idea that I as a director would bring on the set. Enthusiastic and ready to try out different ways to do the scenes, she really believed and was committed to Devki, her character. She is a director's actor," he said.

"Mom" dealt with the subject of abduction and rape sensitively.

On cracking the code, he said: "It's important to know how you are going to present it to the audience... In cinema, a greater impact is achieved by refusing to show violence than showing it, but creating the horror of the emotion that it is attempting to evoke."

Talking about filming the hard-hitting scenes, he said: "While the abduction and rape scene is a pivotal scene of the film ('Mom'), the treatment of not actually showing the visual but letting the sound and the atmosphere around portray the horror, sensitises the film."