June 16th

To give a boost to Madhya Pradesh tourism, Madhya Pradesh Tourism Board has entered into a marketing collaboration with T Series and Abundantia Entertainment, the makers of the upcoming film, actress Vidya Balan starrer ‘Sherni’. Principal Secretary, Tourism, Shri Sheo Shekhar Shukla told that the film ‘Sherni’ has been shot in the real and beautiful forests of Madhya Pradesh, Kanha National Park, Bhoot Palasi of Raisen and the surrounding areas of Balaghat. The world premiere of the film ‘Sherni’ will release on June 18th on Amazon Prime Video in over 240 countries. MP Tourism Board is participating in symbiotic marketing and promotion campaign with the makers of the film ‘Sherni’ to introduce tourists to the natural beauty of the state and to promote tourism. The film is being promoted on social media and digital media with the hashtag #MPKiSherni. Shri Shukla also informed that ever since we 1st heard the story of ‘Sherni’, we knew that it would be a suitable means to show the beauty and heritage of Madhya Pradesh’s forests to the world. Full support has been received from forest department for forest conservation and to make tourists experience exciting wildlife tourism. Shri Shukla said that it is a matter of pleasure that the film ‘Sherni’ will now not only bring the beauty of our state to the world, but will also draw attention towards wellness tourism, tribal art and culture, handicrafts and various unique initiatives of Madhya Pradesh. Madhya Pradesh Tourism Board is excited to partner with talented actress Vidya Balan and filmmaker Shri Amit Masurkar, T-Series and Abundantia Entertainment to fulfill the objectives of promoting tourism in the state.

Rajneesh K Singh, Assistant Conservator of Forests who assisted in the production of the film, said that it is not an ordinary matter that we have got a chance to be a part of stories like ‘Sherni’ which discuss issues like striking a balance between environment and development and man-animal conflict management and bring them before the society. We are proud that the world is about to see the wonderful works done by our department every day. We look forward to showing to the world our wonderful forests and experiences that filmmakers have to offer. Sharing the experiences of shooting in Madhya Pradesh, actress Vidya Balan, who is playing the lead character in the movie ‘Sherni’, said that it has been an experience of a lifetime for me to shoot the film in real and live locations in the jungles of Madhya Pradesh. The scenic beauty and heritage of Madhya Pradesh has provided the perfect backdrop to the story of the film. Hopefully watching the film will be a unique experience for the audience. She told that she had a lot of fun shooting in Madhya Pradesh and the friendly behaviour of the people here made it even more special. The film ‘Sherni’ explores the complex issues of conflict between mankind and animals. In the film, actress Vidya Balan plays the role of a mid-level forest officer who struggles to maintain a balance with the environment with her team and local colleagues despite many constraints and societal pressures. The film deals with a sensitive subject which touches on various aspects of respect, mutual understanding and co-existence not only between human and animal but also between human beings.

DELHI MAY 2:

Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute organized the virtual convocation ceremony on Sunday, May 2, 2021. The day also marks the beginning of the yearlong birth centenary celebration of the film maestro Sh. Satyajit Ray. “This day is very significant to us as Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute presents the nation with the bunch of new filmmakers”, says Professor Amaresh Chakrabarti, Director In-Charge of the Institute.

The graduates of thirteenth batch of the Film Wing, the first batch of the Electronic and Digital Media wing and the first batch of the Animation Cinema gets their Post Graduate Diploma Certificate after pursuing different specializations and successfully completed their first films.

The simplicity and directness in Ray’s filmmaking style is also perceived in the early ventures of these young filmmakers. Commissioned and produced by the Institute, a total number of twenty-one dissertation films and their student crew receives honors, comprising six films from Animation Cinema, five films from Electronic and Digital Media Wing and ten films from the film wing. Amongst this wide spectrum of narratives, Like a Midnight Dream (Oru Paathira Swapnam Pole), a dissertation film by Sharan Venugopal, is recently awarded Best Film on Family Values in the 67^th National Film Awards by Directorate of Film Festivals, Government of India.

The Chief Guest of the ceremony, Ms. Aparna Sen, an eminent actor, filmmaker and Padma Shri awardee, congratulates the graduates for completion of their formal education in various disciplines of cinema and allied audiovisual medium.

In the valedictory speech, She also shared her memories with Ray, “it is doubly auspicious as the day marks the beginning of the centenary celebrations of the master auteur.” Satyajit Ray had been my mentor and it was a privilege to work in his films, she continues. “After reading my first script that I wrote, Ray pushed me to write to Sashi Kapoor and approach him as a producer”. Ms. Sen made her cinematic debut as an actor in Ray’s Three Daughters (Teen Kanya, 1961).

Distinguished Professors and Industry Experts who conducted workshops and inter-disciplinary sessions, congratulates 83 graduating students. Prasenjit Ganguly (Animation Filmmaker), Hitendra Ghosh (Sound Mixing Engineer), Kedarnath Awati (Ex-Professor, FTII), Umesh Vinayak Kulkarni (Filmmaker), Jawhar Sircar (Ex-CEO, Prasar Bharati) and Anil Mehta (Cinematographer) applaud for their first venture and wishes luck for their future adventures and journeys.

Named after the legendary film maestro Satyajit Ray, the Institute has emerged as a center of excellence which offers post-graduate program in Cinematic and television studies.  Satyajit Ray, a genuine artist, made Indian cinema worth of serious attention for the first time in its history. With cinema as a language that tales the tale of life in the most neo-realistic manner, the graduates of the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute are encouraged to form their own worldview and portray the same on to the screen.

Shri Satyaji Ray was a renowned filmmaker, writer, illustrator, graphic designer, music composer.  He started his career in advertising and found inspiration for his first film, Pather Panchali, while illustrating the children’s version of the novel by Bibhutibhushan Bandopadhyay. The film catapulted him into international fame. Shri Ray went on to make other great films such as Charulata, Agantuk and Nayak. He was also a prolific writer, making the famous sleuth Feluda and scientist Professor Shonku, a popular part of Bengali Literature. The Government of India honoured him with the Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian award, in 1992.

As part of the celebrations, the Media Units of Ministry of Information & Broadcasting viz. Directorate of Film Festivals, Films Division, NFDC, NFAI, and Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (SRFTI), Kolkata are planning a series of activities. Other Ministries/Departments including Ministry of External Affairs and Ministry of Culture will also be playing an active part. However, in view of the pandemic situation, the celebrations will be held in hybrid mode, digital and physical both, during the year.

In recognition of the auteur’s legacy, “Satyajit Ray Lifetime Achievement Award for Excellence in Cinema” has been instituted from this year to be given at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) every year starting from this year. The Award consists of a cash prize of 10 lakh rupees, a certificate, Shawl, along with a Silver Peacock medal and a Scroll.

Events and Activities

1. Directorate of Film Festivals, Films Division and Ministry of External Affairs will be organizing Satyajit Ray Film Festivals in India, and abroad through Indian Missions, where films and documentaries by and on Shri Satyajit Ray will be showcased. A Special Retrospective and screening of Shri Ray’s films is being planned at the 74th Cannes Film Festival.

2. Directorate of Films Festivals will be organising a Special Retrospective at the  International Film Festival of India (IFFI), 2021. The  retrospective will be traveling to prominent international and national film festivals.

3. Films Division will be creating a dedicated Satyajit Ray section at the National Museum of Indian Cinema, Mumbai. This Section, which would also travel to different museums in the country over the year, would host memorabilia from Shri Ray’s life in both physical and interactive digital versions, including the best shots from his films, interviews etc.

4. National Film Archives of India (NFAI) will do Restoration and Digitization of all the available films and publicity material of Shri Ray. It will also organize a virtual exhibition of the posters of his films.

5. NFDC will organize a film festival on its OTT platform, Cinemas of India, showcasing five of the maestro’s films.

6. Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (SRFTI), Kolkata will be unveiling a statue of Shri Satyajit Ray at its campus. To promote understanding of the filmmaker’s genius, a Course on his work will be taught at the Institute. A package of Shri Ray’s works for children that can be given to schools is also being developed. Inter-college competitions on themes from Ray’s films will also be organised amongst Film schools.

7. The Ministry of Culture will be organising cultural activities and showcasing the various perspectives of Shri Ray’s personality and works in arts and literature.

To oversee the activities, an Implementation Committee under the chairmanship of Secretary (I&B) has been set up. The committee includes senior Filmmaker Shri Dhritiman Chaterji as the nominated member, and other senior officials of the Ministries of Information and Broadcasting , Culture and External Affairs.

Veteran actor Biswajit Chatterjee crowned as Indian Personality of the Year

Panaji, January 24th

The 51st edition of the International Film Festival of India, Goa has conferred Shri Biswajit Chatterjee, veteran actor, producer, director and singer of Hindi and Bengali cinema, with the Indian Personality of the Year Award, in Goa today, January 24, 2021. The award has been given to the actor at the closing ceremony, together by Governor of Goa Shri Bhagat Singh Koshiyari, Chief Minister of Goa Dr. Pramod Sawant and Union Minister of State for Environment, Forest & Climate Change Shri Babul Supriyo.The Award was given by Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Shri Prakash Javadekar at the opening ceremony of the festival on January 16, 2021.Speaking on the occasion, the veteran actor said: “I thank the Government of India and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting from the bottom of my heart, for honouring me this with award. This year, we came to know that Bangladesh is our focus country, a country with which I have a deep connection. When Bangladesh was being attacked, genius director Ritwik Gatak was with me in Mumbai and we used to get inspired by the speeches of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Then as per Ritwik Da’s suggestion, we made the documentary THERE FLOWS PADMA, THE MOTHER RIVER; I later went to Dhaka and presented it to Bangabandhu. I found two paintings in his office, those of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore and Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose. I can never forget the love I got from Bangladesh. Bangladesh and India are one, we are brethren; we are not separate.”The actor recalled and showed his indebtedness to the singer and producer Hemant Kumar, who brought him to Mumbai from Bangladesh.A video was played during the occasion had the noted actor sharing his thoughts on achievement in life, especially as an artist: “As an artist, as an actor, I wanted to become someone. I wanted to become an all India actor, not just an actor known in West Bengal. If someone is confident from within his heart that he or she will be able to achieve something, keep up the faith in oneself and does not deviate from the chosen track, he or she will definitely attain the achievement. When you get a role, perform the role as if you are the best person to have been chosen for the role. The quest of an artist does not end till the very ending.”

Biswajit Chatterjee is known for his roles of Kumar Vijay Singh in Bees Saal Baad, Raja Amit Kumar Singh in musical drama Kohra, Ashok in romantic film April Fool, Ramesh Kumar in Mere Sanam, Jeevan in Night In London, Shekhar in Do Kaliyaan and Vicky in Kismat. He was usually paired with notable actresses such as Asha Parekh, Waheeda Rehman, Mumtaz, Mala Sinha and Rajshree. Some of his Bengali films include Chowringhee (1968) and Garh Nasimpur with Uttam Kumar and Kuheli and much later, Srimaan Prithviraj (1973), Jai Baba Taraknath (1977) and Amar Geeti (1983). In 1975, Biswajit produced and directed his own film, Kahte Hai Mujhko Raja. Apart from acting and direction, he has also been a singer and a producer.

Wife of A Spy tells about a couple who are at the mercy of time

An emotional roller coaster, where a wife, who was at first torn by jealousy due to an act of her husband,  does the unthinkable to ensure her family’s safety when she discovers the truth. The closing film of the 51^st edition of International Film Festival of India (IFFI), Japanese movie Wife of Spy directed by Kiyoshi Kurosawa tells the story of a husband and wife who are thrown off guard by some unforeseen circumstances.

Kurosawa, who held the IFFI 51 closing ceremony on a video message, said: “It is a huge honour that Wife of A Spy has been selected as the closing film of IFFI. I had been to Goa 6 or 7 years back. It is really a wonderful memory for me. Everything is beautiful out there, the ocean, town and the people who are very kind. Especially the food was really delicious. I spent dream like days there. I wanted to come there in person and meet all of you, but I know it is impossible now. All I can do is talk online from Japan. But the film has reached beyond the sea and I believe it tells you eloquently rather than I speaking about it. My movie is set in Japan of the 1940’s, and it depicts a couple who are at the mercy of the time.” As a parting word, Kurosawa requested all to enjoy the film till the end. Wife of a Spy is a periodic drama, which shows the story of Satako, played by Japanese actor Yu Aoi and Yusaku Fukuhara played by Issey Takahashi. The night before the outbreak of World War II, local merchant, Yusaku Fukuhara, senses that things are headed in an unsettling direction. He leaves his wife Satoko behind and travels to Manchuria. There, he coincidentally witnesses a barbarous act and is determined to bring it to light. He leaps into action. Meanwhile, Satoko is called on by her childhood friend and military policeman, Taiji Tsumori. He tells her that a woman her husband brought back from Manchuria has died. Satoko is torn by jealousy and confronts Yusaku. But when she discovers Yusaku’s true intentions, she does the unthinkable to make sure his safety and their happiness.This 115 minute long film was selected in the main competition section of the 77th Venice International Film Festival, where it won the Silver Lion.

Kiyoshi Kurosawa is a Japanese film director, screenwriter, film critic and a professor at Tokyo University of the Arts. He has worked in a variety of genres and is best known for his many contributions to the Japanese horror genre.

Get out of the rat race and embrace minimalism

Panaji, 23rd January 

“Earlier, we used to regard the whole world as one family: Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam. But now, even the family is not regarded as family. We have to stop running the rat race; we should stay happy and feel that we can also be happy by helping others.” This is the heartfelt message given by Shashank Udapurkar, Director of the Marathi film Prawaas, which has been screened at the 51^st International Film Festival of India, in the Indian Panorama Feature Film Section. The film tells the story of the journey of life, and emphasises the core issues of human life. It is also a contender for the prestigious ICFT UNESCO Gandhi Medal, given to an IFFI film that best reflects Mahatma Gandhi’s ideals of peace, tolerance and non violence. The Director was addressing a press conference in Goa today, January 23, 2021, after the screening of the film at the festival. Prawaas chronicles the journey of an elderly couple Abhijat Inamdar and Lata. Abhijat is in his sixties, and unwell. Both his kidneys have failed, and his survival depends on dialysis, which he has to undergo twice a week. He has many regrets in life, and he believes his life is as good as over. Lata has resigned herself to the situation. Then one day, realisation strikes him, and he begins a new phase in his life. Abhijat felt that there are so many people who need help and he starts helping them in their problems. This gives him confidence in himself, a great sense of satisfaction and a very unique identity. The film. Udapurkar said that his film reminds us that every person has a limited time on this earth and that it’s important to understand how one lives his life. “In this materialistic world, we are running a rat race. It is said that there are two important days in your life; one, the day you are born, and the other, the day you find out why. Prawaas is a story of someone who finds this out and realizes that one has only a very limited time in front of him. The protagonist Abhijat resembles everyone. He teaches us that when you help others and live your life meaningfully, you will be the happiest person on earth.” He exhorts that “you should chase your heart, this is what Prawaas conveys”. To a question seeking guidance on how one may quit the rat race, Shashank made a simple yet powerful call for embracing minimalism. “We are in a rat race, minimalism is the need of the hour. In the modern world, choices are forced upon us. For example, we are told that we need to change our mobile phones twice every year. This culture makes us want more. Reducing demands and wants is the only way to get out of this.”Why don’t more people follow this path? Udapurkar answers: “There is only one Gandhi. Likewise, there are very few people who follow minimalism. It is both very simple and very difficult. Following a minimalist path is an uphill task.”Shashank Udapurkar has worked as a lead actor in Marathi films like ‘Dhava Dhav’ and  ‘Kartavya’. ‘Anna’ was his debut film as a director and ‘Prawaas’ his second. He has also worked as a screenplay and dialogue writer.IFFI collaborates with the International Council for Film, Television and Audiovisual Communication (ICFT) Paris, to present a special ICFT Prize consisting of the UNESCO Gandhi Medal. The UNESCO issued commemorative medal in 1994, marking the 125th anniversary of the birth of Mahatma Gandhi. Since then the ICFT UNESCO Gandhi Award is being given to a film that best reflects Mahatma Gandhi’s ideals of peace, tolerance and non-violence. Ten films, including Prawaas, are competing for the medal in this edition of the festival.

Siddharth Tripathy spends all his savings on this movie

A man Shoukie and his dog Kheru are being displaced from their village due to coal mining, but Shoukie’s unconditional love for Kheru makes him adamant on staying on with him. This story of the oft-celebrated bond between man and his canine pet is at the heart of a Chhattisgarhi language film, showcased at the 51^st International Film Festival of India (IFFI) being held in Goa. The Indian Panorama Feature Film has also been selected in the International Competition section. I did not think twice about making a film on an offbeat story”, said Director Siddharth Tripathy, while addressing a press conference in Panaji, Goa, January 23, 2021, following the screening of the film. As the whole villages is about to be displaced due to coal mining, Shoukie is served the final eviction notice by a mining company. It is then that an illogical thought stems within him: Kheru would die that night. Shoukie passes the night with this notion of the dog’s death, hunger and nostalgia. “I had to spend all my savings for making this movie.  I faced problems during distribution of the film as well.”It has been easy to portray the locality shown as he is well acquainted with the place, its people and culture, said the Director. On being asked about the script writing process, he said: “A story evolves on its own and turns out very different from what you initially write on paper. It changes at the stage of practical production.”Tripathy graduated in cinematography from SRFTI, Kolkata in 2000. ‘A Dog and His Man’ is his first feature narrative.

Healing is Beautiful

Panaji, 20th January

About June

Set against a realistic backdrop of small-town India, June addresses themes seldom touched in Indian cinema. It paints a moving portrait of a troubled boy Neel, who is haunted by guilt by an action that is defining his entire existence, and a mysterious woman Neha, who enters his life to heal him and in many ways, heal herself too.

Director : Vaibhav Khisti, Suhrud Godbole

Producer : Blue Drop Films, Radiant pictures
Screenplay : Nikhil Mahajan
DOP : Quais Waseeq
Editor : Nikhil Mahajan, Hrishikesh Petwe
Cast : Nehha Pendse Bayas, Siddharth Menon, Resham Shrivardhan, Kiran Karmarkar, Nitin Divekar, Saurabh Pachauri

Films Division paid tribute to the film maker Pramod Pati

5th version of Sarfarosh 2 script which just got finalized

January 19th

These are the words of John Mathew Matthan, Chairperson of IFFI 51 Indian Panorama Jury and National Film Award-winning film writer, producer and director. He was talking with film journalist Faridoon Shahriyar during a virtual In-Conversation Session titled “DO YOU HAVE IT?”, held as part of the virtual offering of 51^st International Film Festival of India (IFFI), being held in Goa. Shri Matthan has won the National Film Award for the film ‘Sarfarosh’ (1999), which he directed and produced and for which he wrote the story screenplay as well. Speaking about this film, the maker of more than 200 films said: “Songs have a purpose in movies. At the time when this movie was made, music was a big part in terms of revenue. I did not like the idea of having two romantic songs in the film”. In this context, he said, in present times, a film maker is not compelled to keep romantic songs as it is not a marketing requirement. Reflecting on the songs of the film, he revealed: “The much-admired ghazal Hoshwalon Ko Khabar Kya was significant as it conveyed a dual message. It threw light on India-Pakistan situation, apart from adding to the love-story. Now, when I make Sarfarosh 2, I may keep lesser number of songs.” Highlighting the iterative process which he underwent while writing the script of Sarfarosh 2, Shri Matthan said: “I wrote the script of Sarfarosh 2 for about 5-6 times, before finalizing it. When I wrote the script, I looked at its criticism and kept it aside. After 5-6 months, I started writing it again and came across new potholes. This is actually the fifth script of Sarfarosh 2 which has been finalized”. “You have to have good friends who are critical of you”, added the ace film-maker. Revealing more about Sarfarosh 2, he told, it is about the internal security of India. “It shows how India’s security stands strong in spite of various problems”. He informed that he is dedicating the movie to the CRPF personnel, who bear the brunt of these problems. About his strong liking for Urdu poetry, although he is a Malayali, he said, “Urdu is a beautiful language. From my Muslim friends, I had an interest and appreciation for Urdu poetry and ghazals”. The Late Shafi Inamdar was Matthan’s friend. When asked about his language of thinking, he said it is Malayalam – “My thoughts come in Malayalam, but I cannot write in Malayalam. I write in Hindi using Roman script”. The veteran also reveals, “film-making is a risky business”. In the case of a particular film, Matthan could just pay back his loan and had to incur some loss.

A subject of liking for the veteran film-maker is the evolution of religion and how it has impacted the human race. He feels life has become much easier now with access to the internet. Speaking about his experience as Jury-Chairman for Indian Panaroma, he says, “I saw 180 films and know how diverse we are”. He added, India is a bubbling active democracy. “This is a country to be loved”.