Director Mani M Mani on his documentary film on artist KK Hebbar

We could easily call Mani M Mani a multitasker. Being an entrepreneur, artist, writer and actor, he shuffles various tasks with ease. After appearing in various Tamil films in supporting roles, including the recent blockbuster Ko, Mani recently turned film-maker by making a feature documentary on legendary artist K K Hebbar.

To mark the birth century of the artist, National Gallery of Modern Arts opened a retrospective on him. Apart from displaying his paintings in the exhibition, talks and other workshops are also being conducted. A special documentary titled, A Tryst With KK Hebbar, An Artist And Innovator directed by Mani is also been screened.

Talking about the feature, he says, “It’s an honour to have made my debut film on a legendary artist like Hebbar. This documentary is a tribute to the greatness and authenticity of an artist whose works continues to shape the contours of contemporary art world-wide, even after decades. He lived life on his own terms and style and we have captured that essence in this documentary.”

The 30-minute documentary was shot over a span of four months.

“Apart from the newspaper clippings and other information about him, we also knew that he liked art forms like kathak, yakshagana among others. This feature will show different sides of him and includes notes and clipping that is very apt for the script,” explains Mani.

Having been associated with stalwarts from the industry like director Shankar, KV Anand, cinematographer PC Sreeram, art director Thotta Tharani, Mani still chose to begin his film-making journey with this documentary. “I am a visual merchandiser and an artist, so film-making is just an extension of my profession. I have even provided my creative ideas to filmmakers like KV Anand and directing a film has always been my passion. Currently, I have plans to direct a feature film in Tamil and Telugu and am working on my script too. The film will focus on strong human relationships,” says Mani, who is also taking martial arts lessons for a prominent role in his upcoming Tamil film.