While Putham Pudhu Kaalai was helmed by senior Tamil filmmakers, for the follow up, the streaming platform has roped in young and fresh voices. Judging by the trailer, the team of young filmmakers seems to have put together an interesting set of stories set against the backdrop of lockdown that was imposed during the second wave of coronavirus.

In a conversation with indianexpress.com, filmmakers Balaji Mohan, Halitha Shameem, Madhumita, Surya Krishna and Richard Anthony share the silver linings that they discovered during the lockdown.

Surya Krishna, director of The Mask

In the film, the protagonist goes in search of a house for rent. And I was also house-hunting at the time. It was a weird connection. I wondered why the things in the script are happening to me in real life? And then there was this poster in my writer’s room which had the text, “Get sh**t done.” It was catchy and inspiring also. I was under a lot of pressure while making this film at the time. But, I went ahead and got this movie done.

Halitha Shameem, director of Loners

For me, the silver lining was the call from Amazon Prime Video to make this film. I was working on other scripts but there were a lot of uncertainties as we didn’t know when the shooting would begin. And when I got the call, I knew this film was going to happen right away. I knew I could make this film by sharing all the experiences we went through (during the lockdown).

Madhumita, director of Mouname Paarvayaai

During the lockdown, my brother’s family from Hyderabad and parents from Chennai stayed with us in Mumbai. I got to spend time with my loved ones. It is all about appreciating what you have. At least as a family, we were together in this. And of course, I am always grateful for all the work I get to do. My husband says that my wife is very difficult to live with when she doesn’t have work. Being able to work and staying along with my family was the silver lining for me.

Balaji Mohan, director of Mugakavasa Mutham

I got to spend a lot of time with myself and my family. And there was a lot of room for thinking and self-realization. And one of those is to be okay even when nothing is going your way. In the first 10 days of the first lockdown, we didn’t know what’s going to happen. At least now you know what happens next. What if this (lockdown) never comes to an end? I realized I will still be okay sitting in my room. And it was very surprising for me as I never thought that I was capable of it. I realized that if you are happy when you have nothing, you will be happy when you have something.

Richard Anthony, director of Nizhal Tharum Idham

Any aspiring writer or filmmaker needs some time off to work on their goals. I was continuously working for the last few years, and I had to take a break from my work to sit and write. At the time I quit my job, the lockdown happened. And it kind of made it normal for everyone to stay at home. I had been doing my AD job for a long time and I decided it was time for me to step out and do something on my own. I quit my job, the lockdown happened and I got this project. Everything fell in place. The call from the Amazon Prime Video team was my silver lining.