Indie filmmaker Aditya Kripalani addresses mental health issues in his fourth film, Not Today

The rise in the number of depression and other mental health issues has resulted in a sharp increase in suicides. Indie filmmaker and musician Aditya Kripalani’s upcoming film Not Today deals with mental health issues and suicide prevention. Starring veteran actor Harsh Chhaya and Rucha Inamdar, who was last seen in Criminal Justice, this film is ready for an OTT release. Aditya’s debut film Tikli and Laxmi Bomb and second film Totta Pataaka Item Maal (both available on Netflix) are a feminist take on Mumbai and Delhi as cities and his third, Devi Aur Hero has raised socially relevant questions around how a woman is generally perceived by the Indian society. All three films have got accolades at major national and international film festivals. We had a chat with the director about his new film and future projects. Excerpts:

Tell us a little about your upcoming film Not Today?

Not Today is a film about suicide prevention. The plot revolves around a 50-year-old man standing on top of a terrace waiting to jump and a 24-year-old suicide prevention counsellor who has to stop him from committing suicide on her first day at job.

How was it working with Harsh Chhaya?

Shooting with Harsh was really nice, he is a tough nut to crack since he has seen a lot of life and he is a very worldly-wise person and brings out a lot of that maturity in his acting. So, that was a different experience for me because I’ve mostly worked with younger actors.

With all the big commercial films too vying for the OTT platforms, do you think it will eat away from the space for indie filmmakers?

Yes definitely, the space for Indie films is less right now, because first I think all the bigger films will have to be out for the next couple of months and, only then will the OTT platforms probably get back to the Indie films. Right now there is a change in the supply and demand dramatically and drastically due to the corona pandemic.

Are you exploring web series too?

I might do a series but I can’t talk about it in detail right now. But it will be a non-fiction series.

What are the other future projects you are working on?

We are also doing a film about a female cinematographer’s journey and the relationship that she shares with her new intern. The woman is about 48 years old and the intern is about 24 years and it’s all about the relationship she shares with her mentor. We are going to shoot the film hopefully next February and then right after that, I hope to be able to make a movie called Father Son Father, which is about three generations of men in the police force.