Lohardaga Mail has chugged to Nepal, winning hearts and accolades.

The 27-minute film of Ranchi duo Biju Toppo and Meghnath Bhattacharya was adjudged the best in the short category at International Folk Music Film Festival in Nepal on November 27.

Organised by Nepal’s Music Museum, the festival had 135 entries from 11 countries, including Bulgaria, Scotland, Japan, China and Afghanistan. Forty films were accepted for competition in two categories, depending on whether they were below or above 30-minute duration.

Gadi Lohardaga Mail is a documentation of people’s memories about a passenger train that ran on the now defunct narrow-gauge tracks till January 2004.

The train was historic. In November 1907, Ranchi was brought on India’s railway map with the Purulia-Ranchi narrow-gauge line. In 1911, it was extended up to Lohardaga. The passenger train that ran on it became the lifeline of the people who affectionately nicknamed it “Mail”.

Eight years ago, before the train was withdrawn — the line has since been converted into broad gauge — Meghnath and Biju travelled on it with some intellectuals and singers and documented the journey. Among them were the renowned tribal ideologue, late Ram Dayal Munda, and well-known folk artistes Mukund Naik and Madu Mansuri who sang numbers in local dialects.

Biju handled the camera himself.

The film is an emotional journey of travellers who reminisce about the train and the memories associated with it.

Besides its documentary value, the film’s lyrics and music add to its richness. One of Mansuri’s songs describes the beauty of the Chotanagpur landscape evocatively.

“Nadi-nala, taka-tuku, van aur patera, bharal khonpa Kashi phool, dinda samay jhulajhul (Rivers and streams, undulating forests and groves, Kashi flowers on a woman’s coiled hair, swinging back and forth).”

The song goes on to mention how residents, mostly tribals, adored the train, which was as much a functional transport system as it was a giant toy and a mechanical wonder.

“Chal re chal dangara chal, khel re khel ghishri khel, bina engine, bina tel Gadi Lohardaga Mail (Lets go to the hillock to play the sliding game, with no engine, no fuel runs Lohardaga Mail).”

Although it was shot in December 2003, the film could not be released for the next three years. Since its release in late 2006, it has gone to various film festivals across the country and has now bagged this prestigious international award.

Biju and Meghnath had also bagged two national awards for best environmental fim and best promotional film at the 58th National Film Awards for Iron is Hot and Ek Ropa Dhan, respectively.