Bombeyaata, a Kannada feature film by Mohan Kumar K.N., was screened at 8th edition of Bengaluru International Film Festival (BIFFes).
It bagged three awards at three of the seven International Film Festivals -- Best Film for Children and Teen at Finow International Film Festival and Script Contest, Deutschland, Germany, Best Narrative Feature at International Independent Film Awards, California and Excellent Drama Feature at Depth of Field International Film Festival NASSU in United Stated.
The film was screened at KIDS FIRST International Film Festival Santa Fe, New Mexico, Love International Film Festival, Los Angeles, and San Diego Kids International Festival.
Bombeyaata portrays how society infuses communal sentiments among children and their understanding of god.
“We have tried to communicate that religion is man made and nature will not discriminate between human beings in accordance with their caste, creed and culture,” says the director Mohan Kumar. Sajjad Khan, the protagonist, belongs to a Muslim family, which earns its livelihood by making clay dolls. His family migrates to Shravanabelagola in Hassan district to work.
When the children in the village celebrate Ganesha festival, Sajjad too wants to join in. But his friends refuse to take him with them. However, one friend encourages Sajjad to make his own Ganesha idol, as idol making comes naturally to him. The film is about, how Sajjad succeeds in making the idol and the reaction of family to this.
“At a time when the issue of intolerance is hotly debated, it is my humble attempt to communicate the need of harmonious living,” notes the director.
The film is based on Sajjadana Ganesha, a novel by his wife Dr. Vatsala Mohan and it’s the first feature film by Mohan Kumar - a student of cinema with theatre background. Basically a qualified electronic engineer and a professional photographer, this filmmaker has done a few documentaries and short films.
B.S. Kemparaju (editor) and Prakash Sonatakke (music) and Omprakash (cinematography) have supported Mohan Kumar in this film.
