10 years of Lucia: Pawan Kumar reveals budget constraints gave birth to several now-revered aspects of the film, including monochrome sequences

Pawan Kumar‘s second directorial endeavour, Lucia, starring Sathish Ninasam, Sruthi Hariharan and Achyuth Kumar in key roles, played a pivotal role in this transformation and emerged as one of the most important Kannada films of the past decade.

With its unconventional story that delved into the inner struggles people face in their daily lives, effective use of parallel narratives, and outstanding craftsmanship, Lucia, which recently celebrated its 10th anniversary, became a milestone in Kannada cinema, establishing a benchmark for numerous future films to aspire to.

In a conversation with The Indian Express, director Pawan Kumar, however, explained that his goal was never to craft something that would be entirely unusual for movie enthusiasts. “My intention has never been to produce something bizarre or unusual. Even during my theatre days, the objective was not to be unconventional but rather to produce highly creative endeavours,” Pawan says.

“My goal has consistently been to express myself in the most satisfying manner, one that resonates with me first and then assess whether it effectively communicates with the audiences,” Pawan adds.

Lucia, according to Pawan, started with its core which explored the identity of a star. However, even that underwent numerous revisions. “Nevertheless, as nobody wanted to back the project, we were forced to turn it into a low-budget venture,” he recalls.

It was during this period that Pawan contemplated raising money through crowdfunding. Leveraging social media platforms, Pawan initiated a campaign to raise Rs 50 lakh for making Lucia. While the director anticipated a lengthy journey to reach the goal and had concerns about whether he could gather such a substantial sum, he successfully amassed Rs 51 lakh in just 27 days, thanks to donors who were intrigued by the initiative and the project’s novelty.

“After zeroing in on the story, screenplay, and dialogues, I began the process of adapting it to fit within the constraints of my available budget,” Pawan explains, underscoring how this necessity sparked a wealth of innovation. “It wasn’t originally scripted in the exact manner you see it today. Initially, it was written in a certain way, but due to budget constraints, I had to make adjustments accordingly,” he notes.

The director acknowledges that many aspects of Lucia, including the black-and-white sequences, which gained widespread acclaim, were born as a result of the constrained budget. “I initially had the intention to shoot the real-time and dream sequences using distinct styles. However, we didn’t have anything other than a Canon 5D camera and three lenses. Moreover, we lacked the budget to portray the grandeur of the rich guy’s life. That’s when I decided to remove colour from it altogether, which not only gave it a unique appearance but also conveyed a sense of grandeur,” Pawan states.

“I believe this creative process naturally unfolds when you begin to engage with your own reality. Therefore, we found it enjoyable to work in this manner,” the filmmaker adds.

“Up until the film’s release, my primary goal was simply to complete the film and inform the people who had supported me through crowdfunding that I had successfully produced the film and it was now available to them,” he mentions.

Director Pawan Kumar with actors Sathish Ninasam and Sruthi Hariharan. (Pawan Kumar/Facebook)

Prior to its theatrical debut in September 2013, Lucia had its premiere at the London Indian Film Festival in July of the same year, where it earned the Best Film Audience Choice Award.

“All the things that happened after Lucia were things I had never even dreamt of. When someone told me that it was going to premiere in London because the trailer looked good, I expressed my disbelief, particularly due to the presence of five songs in the movie,” Pawan Kumar recalls.

Throughout the years, numerous bigwigs in the world of cinema, including legendary thespian Irrfan Khan, ace filmmaker Anurag Kashyap and actor Vivek Oberoi, have showered praise on Lucia, describing it as an outstanding piece of work.

In 2015, Lucia was remade in Tamil as Enakkul Oruvan (Dir. Prasad Ramar) with Siddharth and Deepa Sannidhi essaying the lead roles.