Exclusive Interview: Director Arati Kadav on ‘Cargo’ and Breaking Ground on Indian Sci-fi Cinema

Filmmaker Arati Kadav made an indelible mark on Indian cinema this September with the release of her independent and decidedly sci-fi film “Cargo,” which took the themes of space, life, afterlife and mythology gave them a treatment well deserving of the material.

American cinema has, of course, experimented with space dramas for quite some time. Films like “2001: A Space Odyssey,” “Alien,” and even more recent efforts like “Gravity” and “Ad Astra” have examined everything from exploring the cosmos, contemplating humankind’s purpose in the universe, survival, and, most recently, philosophical musings that range from searching for long-lost loved ones to the existence of god. Hollywood’s examination of sci-fi reaches  as far back as 1968, and as recent as 2019.

Indian cinema, however, while not immune from the grasp of the cosmos, has had a round-a-bout way of exploring these topics. Over the last decade plus, India has made fair entries with new concepts and genres, most notably films like “Lucia,” “Robot,” “Mard Ko Dard Nahin Hota,” “Trapped,” and “Super Deluxe.”

However, Bollywood, while known for its eclecticism, hasn’t had a full-fledged sci-fi effort that devoted its entire run-time to space—nor one that fixates on the elements of life, afterlife, and mythology so vividly as with Indian director Arati Kadav’s “Cargo.”

At The Movie Buff, we had the chance to review “Cargo” earlier this month, which we found smart and inventive, and a unique vision of introspection and mythology. The film, directed and written by Kadav, stars Vikrant Massey, Shweta Tripathi, and Nandu Madhav. It is a story that takes place in a time when rakshasa (demons or goblins) and humans have found restful terms to co-exist, and humans board spaceships after they die for Post Death Transition Services. “Cargo” focuses on one of these ships named Pushpak 634A, handled by Prahastha (Vikrant Massey); soon he is joined by a female assistant (Shweta Tripathi); together they go through ups and down and personal emotions which changes their lives.

We recently had the chance to speak to director Kadav about “Cargo:” her challages inspiration, filmmaking, and how steaming services and independent mediums are paving the way for Indian cinema.

Hi, can you please introduce yourself for our readers?

AK: I grew up mostly in Nagpur, though my early years were in the South of India. I had a very middle class upbringing: my father was an engineer, and my mother a teacher. They were invested in two things: my happiness and my education.

However, I really loved storytelling since childhood and used to participate a lot in story writing competitions. I would write fantasy stories and win lots of awards for them. I used to also make charcoal sketches a lot and work on narratives at that level—spending days or weeks on a sketch. I was good in studies and got admissions in all medical colleges and engineering colleges. I decided to do engineering from VNIT, Nagpur and later did my Masters from IIT, Kanpur. I was recruited for Microsoft Seattle and was a programmer there until I decided to leave all that to pursue filmmaking.

What inspired you to become a filmmaker and depart from your work in IT and Microsoft?

AK: I was very fascinated with cinema with a medium of expression. My love for filmmaking did not come much from the movies but with the experiments I did with the handycam that I had gifted myself. I found the medium very inventive, fascinating, and addictive. I thought it was something that was engaging 100% of me, and I loved the person I became when I devoted myself to creating stories. I think I was just captivated by the possibilities.

The vision of your film, “Cargo,” is both inventive and pioneering. What is the genesis of this conception, and what fascinates you about the sci-fi genre? 

AK: I really like stories about things that don’t exist. And stories that illuminate our lives, and our hearts. The ones that give us a better understanding of this world and of ourselves. If the stories are taking me to places I haven’t been to, I completely surrender to them.

In 2017, after literally hitting rock bottom with a project falling out, I was bursting with a strange energy (which was mixed with vengeance) and was writing something really ambitious—an intergalactic super hero film with four species—my goal was to defeat the marvels. I think I wrote that story for four months straight, and then one day while writing that, I got this idea. 

This idea was more sublime and thought provoking. I felt [it]was working at all levels as they say—“in the bloodstream, in the townsquare , and in the turning of the galaxies”—so I decided to write it.

What is your writing process? Do you write from the perspective of a director or a writer, because the way you have complied afterlife through science and mythology with added humor is freshly unique.

AK: When I write, in my head, I play many roles: director, producer; though on really good days, I try to just be a writer, and see the material for what it stands, without any frills I might bring as a director to it. 

However, of course there is a part of your conscious of resources that might be needed for execution, so you cannot completely silence those voices.

I mostly write for myself as the first viewer, the way lots of authors write a book seeing themselves as the first reader and that perspective doesn’t usually go away.

The film’s spaceship and world you created for “Cargo” was amazingly intricate. How did you plan it? How did the production design by Mayur Sharma add to your vision?

AK: Mayur Sharma made our spaceship dreams very concrete.  

We envisioned the spaceship as sort of a metallic jellyfish floating in space for many years, with things old and aged, some portions hacked up for probably meeting a launch deadline, and other portions falling apart. And yet in all that there is a strong sense of things being sturdy or dependable at some level. 

I mostly write for myself as the first viewer, the way lots of authors write a book seeing themselves as the first reader and that perspective doesn’t usually go away.” Arati kadav

 Additionally, we never wanted the technology to distract, but we wanted all these tools to add to the sense of magic, other-worldliness, and beauty.

Hence even if we referred to lots of real spaceships and spaceships from the movies, we tried to derive and design our own spaceship, a mixture of reality and our dream space. We wanted the space to be with neat lines, [and]gadgets to be made up of materials that point to certain industrialization/factory-made feel, and yet have sophisticated minimalism to them and use unusual colored wires, minimal geometric patterns, and uncommon or nostalgia invoking gadgets.

A small trivia was that Prahastha’s healing machine was modelled around a clumsy vacuum cleaner with a long cord making it tough for him to maneuver it.

I also felt that since this space is also the one regularly visited by strangers, there can be interesting sign boards and other things to help the Cargos navigate it. Basically, it should look like the Pushpak’s designer in the rakshas world is taking extra efforts to make a dead Cargo feel at home.

Do you think “Cargo” is a new step towards India’s sci-fi genre, and how did the different film festivals help you?

AK: Absolutely. We were loved in India, but really madly loved by people outside India because they have better engagement with the genre and they realize and value the importance of “first.” We are indeed the first hard sci-fi from India with spaceships and instrumentations, and yet we are also rooted in the stories and mythologies of the subcontinent.

There were festivals like ‘Fantaspoa’ that told us that in their history of 16 years, ours is the first film to be showcased in their platform. Also the festivals like ‘SXSW’ continued their outreach even now during its ‘Netflix’ release, some like ‘LIFF’ championed us. We have really solid relationships with Miami sci-fi clubs in Florida and interaction with discerning audience and festival programmers always added immense value to our journey.

 It all started with our very own ‘Mami’ though, and the love shown by Smriti Kiran and her team.

Do you think with Over The Top (OTT) getting more and more attention in Indian audiences, that it can help filmmakers showcase their work better?

AK: Absolutely, distrubtion was a huge bottleneck. We had theatres or nothing. The independent film studios did not usually have the muscle to ensure a good theatrical, but with ‘Netflix’ and other ‘OTTs’, we are not just reaching widely in India but in the entire world. In fact our film was even trending for NRIs in the U.S., which is great. 

Removal of distribution bottleneck has enabled a certain plurality in stories that is very empowering for filmmakers who want to tell different kinds of stories.

What are the challenges for an independent filmmaker like you when conveying sci-fi with a limited budget? If you could give a message to aspiring filmmakers or writers like you, what will it be?

AK: Budget is usually a challenge and of course there are hidden ladders and connections that you need to have access to ensure that your film gets the best support.

Build your team, and retain it as much. People who help you build your stories and careers are usually your strongest allies for lifetime. So invest in that.

Let your core values be strong. Work hard, be sincere, do your research and work towards gaining knowledge of art and craft.

And then one day, just do it.

The story you created with “Cargo” feels like something that can be continued. Do you have any plans for a sequel?

AK: None yet. But suddenly there are a few interests and we are considering how the larger universe will be.

What are your future projects? Anything you can share with us? 

AK: Yes working on more sci-fi concepts. This time they are filled with some pulp and fun. We are also hoping to crack some international labs with some of our stories.

“Cargo” is now streaming on Netflix. Click below to watch the teaser trailer for the film.