I turned producer to make my kind of films: Resul Pookutty

Oscar-winning sound engineer Resul Pookutty (right), who won the hearts of people across the globe with his work in Slumdog Millionaire (2009), says he turned to production because he wanted to make a certain kind of films. “To do my kind of sound work, I need to make my own films because you are always working for somebody else ... he or she may not be always be aligned with your thoughts and ideas,” Pookutty says.

“I thought why not venture into the (production) business because I have already been spending time, effort and money, and have been toying with the idea for the last two years,” he adds.

Pookutty, who has worked for films such as Black (2005), Zinda (2006), Traffic Signal (2007), Gandhi, My Father (2007) and Ra.One (2001), launched his own production house recently. Adding that he formalised what he had been doing for a while informally, Pookutty shares that the long term plan of the company is also to do systematic investment in Hollywood productions. “Our strategy is to do good cinema — make our kind of Indian cinema and also do systematic investment in projects that I am part of in Hollywood,” says the Padma Shri awardee.

The 44-year-old is also planning to make two to three films every year directed by Pookutty and other directors as well.

Ask him if the house is going to rope in newcomers, and he says: “At the moment, our plan is to align with the A-list actors, but if the script demands a new face, we would not mind aligning with newcomers. There is no hard and fast rule. Small budget is not at all an issue. I know the strength and the potential of such films as well.”

Besides being a producer, Pookutty also dubbed in Hindi for the first time for the upcoming film, Gour Hari Dastaan - The Freedom File, which is a biopic on freedom fighter Gour Hari Das.