At a time when every aspiring filmmaker wants a dream directorial debut on silver screen in Bollywood, this 28-year-old director has chosen Khortha dialect, a variation of Maithili spoken in Jharkhand, as his medium of creative expression to promote it.
Shrey Raj, who had donned the assistant director's cap in a number of television shows including Savdhaan India, announced his first feature film Berang, story of a rickshaw-puller who toils tirelessly to make his son an IAS officer, at a Hazaribagh hotel on Friday.
Raj said the 90-minute film would be the first big-budget film in Khortha dilect, which would be shot extensively in Hazaribagh district apart from Ranchi.
"The budget is Rs 3 crore and we will shoot 70 per cent of the film in Hazaribagh district only. Besides, 80 per cent of the cast will be from Hazaribagh including the lead actor Manoj Sinhaas. We are still finalising other artistes," said the young director, who had done his schooling from Ranchi.
When asked about the choice of the medium, Raj, a native of Patna in neighbouring Bihar, said he decided to start as an independent filmmaker. "I was familiar with the dialect and so I decided to try my hands in Khortha films. I aim to take my film to national and international festivals to promote the dialect," said the filmmaker who is also its writer.
He added the shooting would start from the second week of September and the film would be released anytime next year.
About the storyline, Raj said the film revolved around the life of a rickshaw puller, his fears from high and mighty and aspirations for his son.
On the risk of making a big-budget Kkortha film, he said the story connected to people and hence he was sure audience would like it.
The young filmmaker is also banking on Jharkhand government's new film policy, which promises to provide all kind of support to movies being extensively shot in the state. "I have submitted my proposal to the government's technical advisory committee, headed by actor Anupam Kher. Jharkhand has several good locations and there is no dearth of talents as well. The way government is promoting films, the day is not far when more and more filmmakers will come here for shooting," said Raj.
Co-producer Sourabh Suman said they would keep on making films on social issues.
