The Art of Authenticity: In conversation with MAATITEL director Govinda Sao

Meet Govinda Sao, a budding animator whose award-winning animated short MAATITEL is capturing international acclaim—including the prestigious Lotte Reiniger Award at Annecy 2024. In this feature we deep dive into his process and dedication in exploring complex social issues through his work; pushing the limits of creativity and inspiring audiences worldwide.

Born into a family that values music and artistic expression, Govinda was surrounded by creativity from a young age. “Musical instruments felt like toys,” he recalls, highlighting how music and art became a refuge for him, offering an outlet for emotional and social awareness.

Despite growing up with limited exposure to media and animation, Govinda’s fascination with the art form emerged during his senior school years. It was then that he began to explore visual storytelling, which opened the door to animation. "What captivated me was the way animation could break conventional boundaries and challenge mainstream standards," he explains. For Govinda, animation became a medium through which he could tell diverse and powerful stories.

“I believe in pushing beyond what we’ve seen on screen and respecting the medium’s ability to tell diverse stories”

Later, Govinda joined National Institute of Design (NID). His time at NID played a significant role in his development, not only as an animator but also as a compassionate and empathetic individual. “NID shaped me beyond just my creative skills,” he reflects. It deepened his awareness of the world and allowed him to grow both personally and professionally.

“[My time at NID] heightened my awareness of the world around me and deepened my sensitivity to life’s nuances.”

Govinda’s most recent film, MAATITEL, has earned him the prestigious Lotte Reiniger Award at Annecy 2024. The film, which translates to "kerosene," addresses domestic violence in rural Chhattisgarh, India. It tells the story of a family of four and shines a light on the struggles of an overlooked segment of society.

The narrative draws from a diverse range of influences. Inspired by his upbringing in rural India, Govinda’s film seeks to highlight the challenges faced by communities who are mostly isolated from the broader world and have limited awareness of larger systems and issues. Observing the significant mental and societal challenges faced by such communities, Govinda set out to explore the idea.

The biggest influence in shaping my approach and ideas comes from everyday life encounters, as well as the lovely mistakes and failures on a daily basis.

Preproduction Sketches for MAATITEL

Govinda dedicated extensive time to the pre-production of MAATITEL.
His process involved returning to his hometown to immerse himself in the environment that inspired the story. By sketching, documenting, and interacting with the community, he was able to gather material that influenced the film’s visual and narrative progression. “The script evolved with each iteration,” Govinda says, as he carefully refined the characters, colors, textures, and overall mood to create an emotionally authentic experience.

Translating certain emotions into frames, along with working on colors, textures, characters, and the overall mood, was a time-consuming yet highly enjoyable experience.

For the character design in MAATITEL, Govinda’s primary goal was to maintain a raw, mature, and emotionally authentic look while using a minimalist approach to streamline production. He began by analyzing the emotional, physical, and background traits of the characters, breaking them down into key terms. This process helped him visualize how to incorporate design elements that would best convey the characters' emotions. Once the shape language and psychological foundation were established, it became easier to choreograph the characters’ dynamics and interactions within their environment.

Govinda and the team utilized a range of tools, including TVPaint for the animation, Adobe Photoshop, Procreate, Adobe Premiere Pro, Adobe After Effects, Blender, and Logic Pro for the overall production and post-production of the film.

The production of MAATITEL was led by Govinda as the writer and director, with Somanth Pal from GOIA as the producer and Ajay Tiwari serving as the guide.

Sound design was a key element in bringing MAATITEL to life. One challenge Govinda faced was finding voice actors fluent in the local Chhattisgarhi dialect.

The sound design- rooted in rural India- was crafted by Thomas Hohl, while Rohan Deep Saxena handled dialogue recording and direction, supported by boom operator Nikhil Patil.

Subtitles were provided by Anshara Naaz, and the instrumental music was performed by Jhankhar and Group, with mixing and mastering by Dhruv Pant, adding a raw and folk-inspired touch to the film’s music.

The cast included Shruti Pandey and Mohan Sagar. Visual effects and compositing were managed by Ameya Agrawal, with Anshul Gupta designing the title and graphics. The animation team included Govinda Sao, Mouparna Barai, Rishav Mohanty, Akhil KT, Sampada, and Shantanu Karka.

It feels like the journey of our baby from a corner of rural India to an international stage, where it now has its own voice and speaks to people.

Govinda has benefited from the guidance of mentors like Somnath Pal and Ajay Tiwari. Somnath, a long-standing mentor, supported the production of MAATITEL through his initiative, GOIA, which champions independent voices through culturally sensitive topics. Ajay Tiwari, a faculty member at NID, played a crucial role as Govinda’s guide, offering unwavering support during the film’s production.

With MAATITEL receiving international acclaim, Govinda feels a deep sense of responsibility. The success of the film has only fueled his desire to tell more stories, ones that challenge, provoke thought, and offer new perspectives.

Through the film Govinda has not just gained a deeper understanding of the fundamentals and the pipeline involved, but also, the confidence to tell more stories.

Learning the rules and then breaking them feels liberating.

Govinda believes being genuine allows for full and authentic expression. For him, a story shouldn't be limited by what entertains an audience or others' perceptions of a medium like animation. Instead, it should reflect the creator's true self and the world around them.

On that note, we draw this article to a close. We wish Govinda Sao all the best for the future and eagerly await the screening of MAATITEL and many more of his films to come!

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