Oct 31, 2026 8:00pm IST
Don Palathara on Working with Roshan Mathew, Being Branded a ‘Festival Director’ and the Struggles of Independent Filmmakers (EXCLUSIVE)
Director Don Palathara has carved out a distinct niche in independent Malayalam cinema. He is known for his visual control, observational camera work, and introspective explorations of human relationships in films like “Shavam,” “1956, Central Travancore,” and “Everything is Cinema.” For over a decade, his approach to filmmaking has come from a space of personal inquiry. In his latest feature, “The Uncertainty Principle” (“Ekadesham”), he turns his observational lens toward characters navigating the film world, bringing together an ensemble including Roshan Mathew, Divya Prabha, and Vinay Forrt. The film recently screened at the Dharamshala International Film Festival and has also been shown at the Indian Film Festival of New Zealand and the Asian Film Festival Barcelona.
In a conversation with Variety India, the director discusses the film’s themes, visual language, and the realities of creating independent cinema outside studio lines.
The characters in “Uncertainty Principle” are trying to build careers in cinema. You are an independent director yourself. Is this a film about personal observations or a commentary on the indie film ecosystem?
I think we are bleeding into each other. I don’t want to punctuate any particular message because the film is not just about one thing. It’s for the audience to figure out what they want to see. It’s also almost like a puzzle. So, I’m letting the audience solve that puzzle.
Related Stories
You’ve also explored a director’s perspective in ‘Everything is Cinema.’ How different is this film from that?
In “Everything is Cinema”, it was about one guy and his frustration and his intimate relationship with his girlfriend at that time. It was also about COVID and how COVID was affecting everyone. It was also a commentary about modern progressive masculinity and how the older version of masculinity is still coming through in the modern version as well. Even though the template is similar, the themes I am exploring in “The Uncertainty Principle” are very different. This is a film about observation and the question - What is cinema? I keep going back to that question and I find different answers every time. There is no one answer for that question and it can be different for different people. At the same time, it can be different for you at different stages of life as well.
Your films are known for long takes and observational camera movements. Tell us about the visual language of this film?
There are certain principles or rules I give myself to work with each time I do a film. Here, the camera is not predicting anything. The camera is observing, almost like in a documentary film.
You have a very interesting cast here. How much did they bring to the table?
They brought a lot to the characters, but I don’t think they were in them. For instance, I don’t see Roshan Mathew in Sharath (the character he is playing). When he’s acting as Sharath, I can clearly see the departure from Roshan to Sharath. All of them, including Divya Prabha, Vinay Forrt, and Jitin Puthenchery are incredible. They are very intelligent actors. It is because of this intelligence they have and the understanding that they bring into that situation, that scene, the character, which is something I can’t just prompt into an AI character, or get from an inexperienced actor.
What are the challenges you face as an independent filmmaker in Malayalam cinema?
I think my struggle is pretty much the same as every other filmmaker’s. I choose to do these kinds of films which are unlikely to be backed by a studio. I don’t have any complaints. I’m happy as long as I can keep making them. Sometimes the situation doesn’t allow you to make the kind of films you want to. But I think we have to be proactive even then and find ways in which you can still keep making films in one way or the other.
Have you been tagged as a ‘festival director’?
That has happened. And I have been refused funding from bigger productions because of the festival tag. But we all have our own roles to play in society.
What’s next?
A psychological thriller about a couple going through the loss of their child, starring Parvathy and Dileesh Pothan. It is in post-production. I’m writing something else too, and have started talking to producers.
Comments are moderated. They may be edited for clarity and reprinting in whole or in part in Variety publications.