HAIL THE IITians

Lets go with IIT Madras this time

Hero of the story : Rabi Kisku (2005 BT ME)

Vaibhav: Give us a sneek peek into 'Silicon Jungle'?
Rabi: Silicon Jungle shows various shades of IIT life through the eyes of four students - the main character - Frooti (Kashyap Arora) and 3 of his IITian friends - Bulby (Nitish 'Fubar' Joshi), Shocker (Abhijit Mohanty) and Stud (Mihir Mysore) coming from different backgrounds. The story is one that many IITians can relate to. Frooti has come to IIT just to app, Stud is a creative guy who is disappointed at IIT due to the grade-centered approach, Bulby is highly interested in Physics but there is pressure from home to get a job and settle down in life, and Shocker is a typical guy from Hyd who considers that getting into IIT is enough and that he can now rest. The story takes you through the four years that these guys spend at IIT. It shows you that IIT is not all about studying and then going to the US. It shows the emotional side of IITians.

Vaibhav: What was the inspiration behind the movie?
Rabi: When I first came to IIT, I found that the life here was pretty different than what I had imagined it to be. This is completely a different world. The way most of us live, the emotions that we go through are what I wanted to portray to the outside world - especially to those tens of thousands of students who write the JEE every year.
Vaibhav: When did you decide to make this movie?
Rabi: I was interested in movies from my second year onwards. I initially wanted to make a documentary movie, but that didn't get much support. I also thought that it might not be that interesting. Then I thought of making a short movie. When I approached alumni and the corporates for funds, I was advised to make it on a larger canvas with a better story line - and it was then that I decided on making this movie.

Vaibhav: Did anyone sponsor the movie?
Rabi: Apart from friends, there are corporate sponsors including Airtel, Honeywell, and AMD. This movie is made on a shoestring budget.
Vaibhav: Tell us something more about the movie?
Rabi: The movie was shot in a digital format. It was mostly shot on IIT campus. The other locations include the Besant Nagar beach and a couple of eateries in Chennai. The music is by Vaibhava, for whom this is the second movie. At present, the movie is with the censor board and we plan to release it in Bangalore, Kota, Hyderabad, Delhi, and Chennai and are on the lookout for distributors in the US.
Vaibhav: Personally, when did you start planning to enter movies?
Rabi: Movies have fascinated me from childhood. I have always had an interest in photography. After seeing movies like Roja, Titanic, and Braveheart, I knew that I had immense interest in this field.
After my second year, I realized that I was not cut out to be an engineer and I wanted to do something that I was really interested in. I initially wanted to do an MS in the US in the field of movie making. But my grades were not good, and I had some personal problems. So I started learning from the net and from books.

Vaibhav: Did the IIT system help?
Rabi: The IIT culture surely helped me. Working as the movie coordinator during Saarang, playing for the institute Cricket team and participating in other cultural activities helped a great deal in my personality development and inculcated in me the spirit to achieve. I received help from most of my hostel mates (Narmada). The Dean - Prof. Idichandy, the Registrar - Dr. Usha Titus, and Prof. KN Satyanarayan helped a lot to make this dream come true.
Vaibhav: Are you planning to have a special screening of this movie at all the IITs?
Rabi: There will be a special screening of the movie at IIT Madras for the professors at the CLT. As of now, we are planning to screen this movie in places from where a high number of IITians come from - like Kota, Delhi, Hyderabad, Bangalore, and Chennai. We are also planning to screen this movie in all the other IITs.
Vaibhav: A movie on 'Five point someone' (the novel by Chetan Bhagat) is in the pipeline. Will it clash with 'Silicon Jungle'?
Rabi: FPS is a ficitional story - sort of a masala movie. Silicon Jungle is quite realistic. I have tried to keep masala away from the movie. Also FPS is releasing in May, and Silicon Jungle in Feb.

Vaibhav: What are your future-plans?
Rabi: After the release of Silicon Jungle, I plan to work for some time as an assistant director. My next movie will be on a larger scale. This will give me exposure into film-making and would also help me establish contacts.