Under the open evening skies at the Kalaradhana open auditorium, Ravindra Bharathi, Filmotsavam, (the five-day long film fest) hosted as part of the Telangana state formation week, was brimming with enthusiasm as film enthusiasts and makers shared their common love for the visual medium. With previews of short films, documentaries and feature films in the lineup, the fest provided aspirant and promising filmmakers a platform to showcase their work.
What was initially only a three-day affair turned into a five-day fest, with an attempt to give more leverage to the filmmaker circuit across the State. The films were broad enough in themes, but a majority had set its focus on the oft-neglected aspects of the Telangana region, the core being social responsibility. The fest was launched with the screening of B Narsing Rao’s Rangula Kala .
On most days, participants were equally enthusiastic to participate in the ‘Meet The Maker’ sessions that had the makers interacting with crowds on their films. Some of the short films and documentaries that made a mark at the fest included Rajaga Vori Rajaga (by Narender Gowd), Telangana Aada Bidda (Jakki John), Jaada (by Sheru Thriupathi), Soyi (by Shiva Kalyan), Kaddi Thanthri (a docu on Dursetty Ramayya by Dusari Balaji), Bommalollu (by Ajit Nag) and Himajwala (by KVR Mahendra). Directors of these few films took time to talk to ‘MetroPlus’ on this occasion.
Jaada-Sheru Thirupathi
Theme: On the need for society to be one
“I wanted to show how society can achieve progress from all dimensions. There are messages from various fields that I tried to include. How the government can divert some of the money spent on the people who stay in remand for long durations towards creating jobs. The possibility of parents learning from their children. Besides, a message on the need of agricultural godowns in villages, as my father is a farmer.” The film won top honours at the Social Development Film Fest.
Kaddi Thanthri- Dusari Balaji
Theme: On the only prominent Kaddi Thanthri player in the Telangana region and the dying art
“Kaddi Thanthri has a 400-year legacy that we wanted to tap. We shot the film over seven days in Garrepalli where Dursetty Ramayya, the only eminent and living artist who practices this profession, stays. The instrument, made out of teak wood, is used in events such as Harikatha kalakshepam , retelling of the epics and sometimes on social issues too. It was a happy occasion to see the document being screened for the first time at Filmotsavam.”
Soyi-Shiva Kalyan
Theme: How farmers need to adapt technology to practice agriculture
“Having worked in the film industry for several years, the inspiration for the short film shot at Kalvakurti, Mahabubnagar, came from my own family. My father failed to adapt to advanced agricultural techniques and suffered. I also wanted to explore a situation where a child aspires to be a farmer and he turns a laughing stock. It was a proud moment to see the film do well on a national level (Social development film fest). My other short films Gelichavra Telloda , Crazy Relation and Nayanaku Prematho too won awards at several fests. My aim is to make a content-oriented yet a commercial feature for the times ahead.”
Telangana Aada Bidda-John Jakki
Theme: On the ‘Kalyana Lakshmi’ scheme launched by the Government
“Inspired by real incidents in my village (near Nagaram, Nalgonda), I wanted to say how humans need to be there for each other in times of need. Marriages of daughters from poor families, is a struggle. I wanted to show one has to forget barriers and remember human qualities in view of helping such families. My friends and I had invested into this project and I’m quite satisfied with the audience it has got. Career-wise, I’ve worked as a technician in several films.”
Bommallollu-Ajit Nag
Theme: On the diminishing interest in wooden puppetry
“Initially though me and my filmmaker friend Amar weren’t keen on the project, the passion of the community to sustain their culture, the learning that ensued kept us going. It was a personal journey in one sense too, given the community can’t force this upon their children, who may have other interests, an aspect which I closely relate to. A fulfilling exercise it was, to see filmmakers and enthusiasts on one common platform at Filmotsavam. The docu took one year to be made for several technical reasons.”
