Page 13 - Poze Magazine Volume 70

Q&A with
Writer/Director/Executive Producer
CYRIL

What inspired you to write the script for
Breaking Tradition?
After my girls moved out, I sat down to write the stories
that dance around in my head. Nothing came, it was as if
they were teasing me from behind a cement dam. As I
explored this dam and found the chink in its armor, this
story poured out. Writing this was a cathartic moment,
releasing an old pain buried in my gut. I remember staring
into the glazed eyes of a woman no more than 17 years
old. I was seven. They seemed so far away. The pain she
endured before death at the hands of her tribe sears my
soul to this day.”

This is the first film you have directed. Would
you describe the experience?
“Dancing in the chaos. The first week was scary. The
next three were a bat-of-an-eye exhilarating. For the
first time in my life, I felt I was doing something I was
meant to do. It came naturally.”

You have worn many hats professionally. What
prompted you to start making movies?

“I make films because it’s like painting on a
momentary light wall. Besides, besides now that I’m a
bit grown up, I might actually have something to say.
It’s been my dream since I saw my first Mickey and
Goofy cartoon.”

Are you in the IN Foundation to educate
underprivileged girls in your hometown of
Bangalore, India?

“Initially, there was no foundation; it was just me
providing education and meals for kids from my
hometown, Bangalore, India. In 2000, I expanded the
project by buying a school in Bangalore. The school ran
until economic constraints due to the pandemic forced
me to abandon the project. Now, with funds raised from
the film and book, I hope to fund more schools.”

Is there a link for you between the movie
and the foundation?

“When I was a young child, I figured out that my heart
felt all gooshy, soft, and fluffy when I practiced
dharma. This is just another expression of it.”