Taking short films to rural India

Dinesh Kanwar

The term ‘film festival’ sounds too big for people living in remote corners of the country. It is usually apprehended that film festivals are events that are glittered with Hollywood or Bollywood celebrities. 

But Rajendra Rajan, a short film producer and director, redefined the concept of film festivals, when he took short films on social issues to rural public. His initiative started with one short film festival at Dharmasala a few years ago and then one at the National Institute of Technology, Hamirpur, last year.

This year, a two-day Educational Film Festival (EFF) was organised at Tikkar Khatriyaan village in Bhoranj sub-division on February 20 and 21, in which people from various sections of society saw over 40 short films (30 to 90 minute duration). The most appreciated films of the festival were Dost, Behind the Bars, A Journey in Himalyan Heartland, Khattries, Kitab and Saanjh.

Short Film ‘Dost’ was an attack on the tree-felling spree in different parts of the country. The producer categorically stressed on the need to protect trees and environment, whereas the film ‘Behind the Bars’ by Devkanya Thakur was based on the hardship of jail inmates and how they were made to earn their livelihood under special programmes of the government to transform criminals into true humans. The film ‘Kitab’ by producer-director Kamlesh Mishra was an attempt to bring back book lovers to libraries that are hardly visited by people now. Another film Saanjh produced and directed by Ajay Saklani was most appreciated for its cinematography and theme as the film hit hard on the deteriorating family culture and how parents are left to live alone, while children leave them for want of luxurious city lives.

Moreover, the films were watched by women of surrounding villages, students of various schools, colleges and university. The film festival also provided an opportunity to students to interact with film producers and directors, who educated them on various aspects of production of short films on social, economic and cultural issues.

Rajender Rajan producer and director of short films said people in cities have multiple options to know about the art and techniques of film production, whereas students in rural areas were deprived of such knowledge. He said: “The purpose behind taking the film fest to rural area was to educate young minds to know and make them explore careers in film production in different fields, including acting, direction, production, film shooting and film editing.”