THE SOUND OF GLORY
Who would've thought that the boy from the backwaters of Kerala, from a village that only got electricity ten years ago, would make history at the Oscars? 36-year-old Resul Pookutty is the first Indian to bag the best sound mixing Oscar for Slumdog Millionaire.
Resul is in a state of disbelief as he is swamped with congratulatory messages from the likes of Angelina Jolie and sound mixers for The Dark Knight and Wall E. "It feels like I've gone from Black to black-out," Resul jokes about his work for Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Black. "I can't believe that a boy from the backwaters of Kerala is today holding the most coveted statuette. I'm a holding a piece of history in my hand and I'm so glad to have made my country proud."
Resul's story could make for a riveting potboiler, as we discover on a trip to his village. It's the rise of young talent from Vilakkupara, a small village near Anchal in Kollam district of Kerala. Resul's father Pookutty was a ticket checker with a private bus company. He struggled to make ends meet. There were times when Resul gave tuitions to pay his fees. He sold his watch once to pay for his education, recalled his brother Baiju Pookutty. Resul was the youngest of eight children. He studied in Ayilara Lower Primary School and Anchal High school before moving to Kayamkulam MSM College, where he graduated in Physics before he moved to Mumbai.
Resul is the toast of the town. The people of Vilakkupara, a village with a population of around 10,000, which got an electricity connection only 10 years ago, were very confident that he would win an Oscar. People had gathered in front of Resul's house as early as 5.30 am on Monday. His family had installed a television set in front of their house so that the whole village could watch him receive the Oscar.
The gathered crowd heard Resul's name being announced and there was a burst of jubilation. Tears of joy rolled down Resul's sisters' eyes. Crackers were burst and sweets were distributed as the villagers prepared themselves for weeks of celebration.
VIP and VVIP's started streaming to the house to share their joy. Political leaders, from the local panchayat president to MLAs and Kerala ministers, landed in Vilakkupara. The local people call the Academy Award and BAFTA award-winning Indian film sound designer, Biju. Only recently, they discovered that Biju has another name, Resul Pookutty.
“We knew he would win this award,”said the district congress committee member K Daniel. And a spectacular win it was!
On Monday morning from the Oscars venue in LA, trying to make himself heard above the din of cinema's glitterati, Resul gushes, "I'm watching the best and most glamorous talent from American and the world cinema passing by. I can't believe I'm here with my wife. Our kids are in Mumbai and they saw their father getting the Oscar. It's a moment of pride that my family will treasure forever."
Resul adds, "The response to an Indian winning a technical award at the Oscars is so encouraging. For decades, we Indian technicians have been fighting to be seen and heard in Indian cinema, using old equipment and dodging the belief that the more visible aspects of cinema (like the actors) are all that counts. I'm so glad to see the technical aspect of filmmaking come into its own."
Resul plans to return to India on Tuesday to be with his family. "I need to share this little beauty with everyone out there. It doesn't belong only to me. After that, I'll see where this new turn in my destiny takes me."
Resul made his debut in sound design with the 1998 film Private Detective: Two Plus Two Plus One directed by Rajat Kapoor. He got his big break with Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Black in 2005. He also engineered sound for major productions like Musafir (2004), Zinda (2006), Traffic Signal (2007), Gandhi, My Father (2007), Saawariya (2007) and Dus Kahaniyaan (2007).
Resul is in a state of disbelief as he is swamped with congratulatory messages from the likes of Angelina Jolie and sound mixers for The Dark Knight and Wall E. "It feels like I've gone from Black to black-out," Resul jokes about his work for Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Black. "I can't believe that a boy from the backwaters of Kerala is today holding the most coveted statuette. I'm a holding a piece of history in my hand and I'm so glad to have made my country proud."
Resul's story could make for a riveting potboiler, as we discover on a trip to his village. It's the rise of young talent from Vilakkupara, a small village near Anchal in Kollam district of Kerala. Resul's father Pookutty was a ticket checker with a private bus company. He struggled to make ends meet. There were times when Resul gave tuitions to pay his fees. He sold his watch once to pay for his education, recalled his brother Baiju Pookutty. Resul was the youngest of eight children. He studied in Ayilara Lower Primary School and Anchal High school before moving to Kayamkulam MSM College, where he graduated in Physics before he moved to Mumbai.
Resul is the toast of the town. The people of Vilakkupara, a village with a population of around 10,000, which got an electricity connection only 10 years ago, were very confident that he would win an Oscar. People had gathered in front of Resul's house as early as 5.30 am on Monday. His family had installed a television set in front of their house so that the whole village could watch him receive the Oscar.
The gathered crowd heard Resul's name being announced and there was a burst of jubilation. Tears of joy rolled down Resul's sisters' eyes. Crackers were burst and sweets were distributed as the villagers prepared themselves for weeks of celebration.
VIP and VVIP's started streaming to the house to share their joy. Political leaders, from the local panchayat president to MLAs and Kerala ministers, landed in Vilakkupara. The local people call the Academy Award and BAFTA award-winning Indian film sound designer, Biju. Only recently, they discovered that Biju has another name, Resul Pookutty.
“We knew he would win this award,”said the district congress committee member K Daniel. And a spectacular win it was!
On Monday morning from the Oscars venue in LA, trying to make himself heard above the din of cinema's glitterati, Resul gushes, "I'm watching the best and most glamorous talent from American and the world cinema passing by. I can't believe I'm here with my wife. Our kids are in Mumbai and they saw their father getting the Oscar. It's a moment of pride that my family will treasure forever."
Resul adds, "The response to an Indian winning a technical award at the Oscars is so encouraging. For decades, we Indian technicians have been fighting to be seen and heard in Indian cinema, using old equipment and dodging the belief that the more visible aspects of cinema (like the actors) are all that counts. I'm so glad to see the technical aspect of filmmaking come into its own."
Resul plans to return to India on Tuesday to be with his family. "I need to share this little beauty with everyone out there. It doesn't belong only to me. After that, I'll see where this new turn in my destiny takes me."
Resul made his debut in sound design with the 1998 film Private Detective: Two Plus Two Plus One directed by Rajat Kapoor. He got his big break with Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Black in 2005. He also engineered sound for major productions like Musafir (2004), Zinda (2006), Traffic Signal (2007), Gandhi, My Father (2007), Saawariya (2007) and Dus Kahaniyaan (2007).
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