Resul: Oscar win has allowed a sense of association with a non-glamourous field

The sound wizard,whose work in mainstream movies like Black and Saawariya and the critically acclaimed Gandhi-My Father were recognised much later,rues about the lack of dues given to the work of sound engineers in India. He is,however,hopeful his win will prove a landmark for the rest of his kind. “The win has allowed a sense of association with a non-glamourous field. It has already spearheaded a movement where recognition might become a little easier in the future,” said Pookutty,who began his career with Rajat Kapoor’s never-released Private Detective: Two Plus Two One in 1995.

An alumnus of the Film and Television Institute of India,Pune,Pookutty believes that for a category like sound-mixing,studying cinema is of prime importance and should happen under an autonomous body. “I fail to understand why institutes like the FTII and the SRFII are under the I&B Ministry and not the Ministry of Culture,” he added. “There is no rigour in the process of screen-writing,which is the main problem with Indian cinema,” said Pookutty.

On upcoming projects,Pookutty said he is “going to finish his prior commitments,” made before the Oscars,like Pappu Can’t Dance Saala and Mocktail but he “is not planning to shift base from India”. “I got these honours while working in India. I would rather continue doing that instead of chasing international projects,” he said.

Does he intend to join politics in the future? Rushing off to meet UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi for a congratulatory meeting,he smiled,“I am an artiste and have such no intentions.”