Sound resolution!

Oscar winner Resul Pookutty reveals plans for his NGO which looks at helping talents in film institutes

It is just over a year since Resul Pookutty walked the red carpet at the Oscars and made India proud when he went on to win the Best Achievement in Sound for Slumdog Millionaire. We caught him dancing with guests at his daughter’s birthday party and he says he is walking the red carpet again this year. “They were kind to invite me as a guest and I am going to be there. I am so looking forward to it!” he reveals to us.

And despite all the fame he has achieved in India and abroad the sound designer says it is sad that the Indian movie industry as a whole still does not give as much importance to sound as it ought to. “But we can’t always blame Indians. Even in Hollywood there are so many movies made where they don’t give much importance to sound,” he says. “But it is strange as our culture has been passed through sound. All the Vedas and great books were first transferred through what elders told the younger ones. Sound is of such importance and yet we have forgotten what it means to us. In terms of filmmaking sounds add so much to it,” laments Resul.

And Resul has a plan of his own. He has initiated the Resul Pookutty Foundation is association with IIFA through which he will collect money and help needy students at film institutes. “I spoke to Mr Amitabh Bachchan and he was kind enough to coordinate with IIFA and we started this foundation. We hope that we can bring better talent in the industry this way,” he tells us. However the foundation is no more restricted to just helping students. “Post Oscars I got a lot of mails from unknown people asking for financial help. Most people thought that the award came with a lot of money while the reality is that there was no money attached. But then these letters made me feel it would be nice if I can help in anyway possible. Hence now we have the Resul Pookutty Foundation trying to help poor people in different ways. We aim at getting done 300 surgeries and we have already done a few. It feels nice,” he says with a beaming.

In the meantime he is also busy with his career. “I have a few offers from Hollywood which I will be taking up. I will continue working on Indian films too,” he concludes. Our best wishes to all the sound resolutions!

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