Director Nitin Chandra (left) instructs actors during the shooting of the film. Telegraph picture

Bhojpuri film Deswa has been invited to the International Film Festival of Fiji to take part in the competitive section.

The festival would be held in Suva, the capital of the island nation in the South Pacific Ocean, from July 12 to 26.

The film, produced by Bollywood star Neetu Chandra and directed by her brother Nitin Chandra, was also the first Bhojpuri film to be selected for the Indian panorama section at the International Film Festival of India in Goa last year.

“I made a film in Bihar, in one of the major languages of Bihar with a Bihari cast, and it is going to several international film festivals,” said Nitin. “I feel proud and humble as always.”

Fiji National University Unistudio is organising the festival in collaboration with Film Fiji.

Last year, Vidya Balan-starrer Kahaani was named the best film at the International Film Festival of Fiji in Labasa and Rajkumar Hirani had received the Best Director award for 3 Idiots.

Fiji is one of the nations, besides Mauritius and Trinidad and Tobago, with a large expatriate Bihari community and Bhojpuri is spoken by many of them.

Nitin said: “It does not matter how big the film festival is, what matters is the respect we are getting. It is an initiative of the Fiji government. We must respect that like we respect film festivals in India or other countries.”

Asked why the film did not get good response in Bihar but was doing rounds of international film festivals, he said: “Bhojpuri and Bihari culture are not given respect in the state. Biharis suffer from a lack of pride. Bhojpuri is not included in the curriculum of schools though so many people speak it. Unless we sensitise people about their language, there would be no audience for good cinema. The government and the people need to work hard to make Bihari language and culture popular.”

In the competition section, different kinds of films — features, telefilms, documentaries, shorts, advertisements and animation — can be admitted.

The prizes up for grabs are Best Film, Best First Feature Film, Best Director, Best Actor (male), Best Actor (female), Special Jury Award, Best Documentary/Short Film, Best First Non-feature Film, Best Television Film, Best Advertisement and Animation Film.

Asked about making such film again in the future, Nitin said: “Of course I shall make more such films. Not only me, there are also several people I have met who want to make films like Deswa. I hope more and more people make good films in Bihar and in Bihari languages.”

The narrative of the film revolves around three youths and spans from 2003 to 2005, the last few years when there was mass exodus from the state.

At the beginning of the film, the three youths start out with different ambitions but end up getting into crime. They are caught and imprisoned and when they come out of jail in 2009, they find a change in government and development in village infrastructure.

Bollywood actress Neetu, who produced the film, said she was very proud of it.

“I produced a film that has earned respect for Bhojpuri cinema and Bihar. I am very proud of it,” she said.