“Koi bhi desh perfect nahi hota…usey perfect banana padta hain.” The famous dialogue from the cult classic Rang De Basanti inspired an entire generation. That, however, was 12 summers ago. Since then, India has come a long way. Today’s youth is practical and more inclined towards bringing in change. They do not shy away from discussing social issues that are plaguing society. Orissa POST spoke to a few young filmmakers who have chosen short films as their vehicle to create awareness on social issues such as child labour, trafficking, neglected parents and animal abuse.
One of the most prominent among them is animation filmmaker Ritwik Das, who has already won quite a few prestigious awards for his issue-based shorts. Ritwik has been using his proficiency in animation to create awareness on social issues for quite some time now.
“My films revolve around issues like caring for parents, physical disability, conservation of forests, provision of safe drinking water and problems faced by women. I discussed the concept of my first film, Dhobola, with Subrat Bindhani, who assists me in designing all my films. The script was written by Sahitya Akademi awardee Dash Benhur and was later translated into English by my grandfather Bikram Das. My mother has been one of the biggest influences in my life,” he says.
Ritwik’s films have touched upon a variety of subjects. Six-minute-long Dhobola revolves around a crane and talks about how children should never neglect their parents when they grow old. Another film, River Tale, is about how one’s presence of mind can help avoid danger, while A Chance revolves around physical disability. Similarly, Homeless Hero conveys the message that one shouldn’t turn a blind eye to any wrongdoing against women.
Not surprisingly, Ritwik’s efforts haven’t gone unnoticed. He won the best director award for best short animation film for Homeless Hero at the 6th Indian Cine Film Festival-18, Mumbai in 2018. Earlier, Dhobola won an award at the 5th Indian Cine Film Festival in Mumbai, while Sabas Cuckoo got an Honourable Jury Mention at the Noida International Film Festival.
A Chance received an Honourable Jury Mention at the 2nd Indian World Film Festival held in Hyderabad, while Kindness got an Honourable Jury Mention at the Bangalore Short Film Festival. “I also have plans of making a film on how smoking kills,” says Ritwik, whose Jala O Bhabishyat won the second prize at Kallola Film Festival 2018, Bhubaneswar.
Much like Ritwik, filmmaker Abinash Pradhan too has earned many accolades for his issue-based short films. Abinash was pursuing M Tech at VSSUT, when the idea of making a short film struck him. He made the film The Right Glass which got instant recognition and was screened at more than a hundred international film fests.
The success of his debut project worked as an inspiration and, since then, Abinash has made several shorts that revolve around social issues. “I met a man who was repairing his bicycle near VSSUT. His parents were doctors who had died in a boat mishap. However, he braved all odds and started a new life and today is a happy man. The documentary won a number of awards and eventually inspired me to make more films,” he says.
Abinash’s works have won awards at several national and international film festivals. Water Boy bagged the third prize at the Kallola Film Festival-2018. Another of his shorts, Arun — A Life of Inspiration, won an award in Disha, a national level documentary competition, and Best Film award at the Srishti International Short Film Festival. Also, The Celebration was recognised as the best film at Miami International Short Film Festival.
“Lighting Their Dreams is another inspiring story. It won accolades at the Inshort Film Festival, Nigeria. There’s a village Samarpadar in Nuapada where there’s still no electricity. The story revolves around two children who generate electricity with the help of a Rs 500 note just after demonetisation was announced,” says Abinash.
For filmmaker Pradeep Kumar Jena, creating awareness through his shorts has become more like a mission. A graduate of the Biju Patnaik Film and Television Institute, Pradeep travels a lot for work. And that’s how he got the first story idea for a film. Once in Malkangiri, he met a boy and his sister and asked them if they were students. He was shocked when the boy asked him, ‘If my sister goes to school, who will fetch water for the family?’
Pradeep was disturbed to find that many people in Malkangiri were depriving their children of education so that they could get their help in doing household chores. This gave him the idea of making Chumki, a story revolving around the girl he met in Malkangiri. The short won the Jury Choice Award at Kallola Film Festival 2018.
Sangram Keshari Sahu not only makes shorts but has also directed a wide range of comic videos on social issues like child trafficking, violence against women, physical disability, water crisis and education for all. His short film Guddi secured the first prize at Kallola Film Festival 2018.
“Our films have been received well at numerous film festivals. However, we feel our videos and short films should reach those who are the subject of these films. The government works on similar projects to reach out to people in the rural areas. Our stories are on social media and therefore reach only those who have access to it. If they are aired on television, the reach will be wider,” says Sangram.
BRATATI BARAL, OP