In an interaction with the media at IFFI, Goutam Ghose, Pawan Kumar and Saurav Rai talk about their films and the inspirations behind their stories
“Shankhachill is perhaps the first film dealing with the contemporary problems on Indo-Bangladesh border, focussing on the issues faced by the people living near the border, where day to day life is hindered by fences in both physical and metaphorical ways,” said director Goutam Ghose at ‘Meet the Directors of Indian Panorama’ press conference in Goa. The Bengali film Shankhachill (meaning Boundless), an Indo-Bangladesh co-production, directed by veteran director Goutam Ghose, is based on a true story unravelling the tales of partition at the Indo-Bangladesh border areas. The movie is an effort to create a bridge between the people of the two nations that once stood as one. It is based on the true stories narrated by the border guards of the two countries. “The trial and tribulations of partition still continues in Punjab and Bengal,” he added.
Desire for seamless border is narrated through metamorphic expression of a bird that can fly without documents across the lands. “Birds can fly without any documents, but humans cannot. This is what needs to be changed by sending a message of peace, harmony and brotherhood through the film. Cinema could not change the world, but it could certainly record the collective memories of people,” he said.
As India gained its much-awaited independence in 1947, the people of pre-partitioned Bengal faced another struggle. The film is a human saga of a truncated land and how people are trying to relive their destiny. Furthermore, the film explores how the scar of partition exists today and will continue for years to come. The director has made a number of prominent documentaries and has won 19 National Awards besides Filmfare and many international awards. He is also the only Indian to win the coveted Vittori Di Sica award.
Directors Pawan Kumar and Saurav Rai were also present to interact with the media. Pawan Kumar, director of the a contemporary feature film U-Turn said, “This film is a mystery thriller based on traffic problems faced by the people of Bengaluru in their day to day life and the blatant violation of traffic rules. The name of the film is also taken for traffic violations committed while negotiating a U-Turn on a flyover.” The movie was earlier premiered in the New York Indian Film Festival and received a good response. Furthermore, U-Turn completed 100 days in theatres as well. lead actress of the film, Shraddha Srinath was also present at the conference.
Kumar started his career in the year 2000 through theatre and later moved to films. U-Turn is his third feature film as a director and was nominated for Best Screenplay at the NYIFF 2016.
Saurav Rai, director of the film Gudh (Nest), explained about his film saying that the movie is all about his childhood memories in the backdrop of a struggle for a new state and an effort to recollect them as fond memories in the future. “The films I make are related to myself, my family and relatives and I will continue to make such films, where I can connect myself to the stories and has the urge to tell those to the world at large,” he adds. Set in the backdrop of revolution for a new state (Gorkhaland), the film is about a 10-year-old boy’s journey into the labyrinth of memories from his native village. Gudh essentially cherishes those childhood memories, some obscure and some vivid, which people find hard to co-relate as time passes by.