Five years after making Mohandas (2021) based on Bolwar Mammad Kunhi’s book Papu Gandhi, Bapu Gandhi Aada Kathe as well as My Experiments with the Truth, filmmaker P Seshadri is busy with Ruby Cube. Based on a short story of the same name and written by his son Pratham Seshadri, it centres around present-day society and relationships.
The Hindu caught up with Seshadri on the location in the Western Ghats where he talked about his reason for using the Rubik’s Cube as a metaphor to explore human relationships. “I was an average student in school and when someone suggested I try working with a Rubik’s Cube as it could marshal my thinking and comprehension, I bought one. However, I failed to solve it; even now, it is a complex puzzle for me,” says Seshadri.
“When my son Pratham penned Ruby Cube, I told him to turn it into a feature film, but he admitted he didn’t have the maturity to envision it. He said the Cube includes a variety of shapes and sizes; it represents complex mathematical concepts and is a metaphor for life’s challenges. That is when I decided to make a film based on his short story”.
When asked if his inability to solve the Cube challenged him to explore the possibility of harmonising broken relationships, Seshadri admits, “Yes, in a way it did. I structured a non-linear narrative without being preachy. The complexities of any relationship should be visualised with the support of conversation, not through debates. I believe introspection will facilitate reconciliation.”
During the shooting of Ruby Cube
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement
“I believe cinema should question, not preach. My narratives rarely end with closure; instead, they leave the audience reflecting on their own complicity in social evils. I try to transform social issues with philosophical mediation — a recurring pattern in my work.”
“Ruby Cube has been narrated using the stream of consciousness method, with ambivalence rather than the ambiguity of meditative reflection. I have tried my best though, I don’t know if I have succeeded in my attempt.”
Unfolding process
Keeping in mind budgetary limitations, Sheshadi opted for new technology and shot Ruby Cube in 15 days. “Much like Munnudi, we made the film on a cooperative basis under the banner of Pratham Films and Mitra Chitra. Mahen Simha suggested shooting with three cameras and synchronised sound, which offers greater authenticity and realism as well as a sense of originality and naturalism.”
According to Seshadri, sync sound involves recording dialogue and ambient audio simultaneously with the visuals on the set. “This captures the actor’s natural voice, cadence, and emotional expression at the moment which can be more authentic than when recorded later in a studio.”
He adds,”Capturing visuals with three cameras provides one with artistic freedom. Mahen not only suggested these technical notes, but also proved their importance during the filmmaking process.”
A still from Ruby Cube
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement
Kemparaju BS handled the spot editing for the film. “We would watch the result and flow of the story immediately after shooting,” says Seshadri, crediting Mahen and Kemparaju for its successful completion.
Flautist Pravin Godkindi, who composed the music for Seshadri’s earlier films, Beru, Vimukti and Mookajjiya Kanasugalu is also scoring the music for Ruby Cube. “I cannot forget the support extended by veteran actors Dattanna, Vidya Murthy and two young protagonists Raadhya and Devaiah for their cooperation in adapting to new technology.”
Past and present
Ruby Cube comes 25 years after Seshadri made his first film Munnudi, which explored the oppression of women within religious orthodoxy and is considered a critique of gendered violence within a conservative milieu. Munnudi won the National Film Award for Best Feature film in Kannada in 2000, establishing Seshadri as a filmmaker unafraid to confront sensitive subjects.
Quarter of a century later, Seshadri’s legacy endures in the quiet power of his images. “For me, filmmaking is not about popularity, but about bearing witness to the moral trials of my time, to the fragility of humanity that still breathes beneath social conformity.”
During his hiatus, Seshadri mulled over visuals. “I spent most of my time introspecting over the visual medium, even though I was engaged in writing scripts.”
While Sati Sulochana 3-3-34 centred on the first Kannada talkie, was shelved, Uttarayana based on a short story by Sridhara Balagara with Ananth Nag and Naseeruddin Shah in the lead is ready. “I may take that up as my 14th film. I had also planned to make Munde Tiruvide Echarike based on a short story and Alida Mele based on a novel by Shivaram Karanth. Every project had its own problems, so I decided to go ahead with Ruby Cube with the support of my friends on a cooperative basis, the way we did with Munnudi.”
Post production work on Ruby Cube is currently underway and is looking at a tentative release date in January 2026
Published – November 14, 2025 06:47 pm IST
