Making it big

Ranchi, Aug. 7: Still photographs from three films made in Jharkhand have already found their way to posters at a prestigious five-day national film festival in New Delhi, while the moving reels will catch up tomorrow.

Three films made by Ranchi-based directors — Baha by Sriprakash, Garhi Lohardaga Mail by Meghnath and Sona Gahi Pinjara by Biju Toppo — will be screened at the festival hosted by International Association of Women in Radio and Television (Indian chapter), to start from tomorrow at India Habitat Centre, known as India’s finest culture hub on posh Lodi Road in the national capital.

Called Connecting India, the festival of emerging cinema has Jharkhand’s talented but often neglected filmmakers beaming.

“When our work goes largely unnoticed here (read state and region), it is heartening to see that people from outside have taken note. It feels even better since we didn’t send any entry. The organisers invited us on their own as they consider our films to be emerging cinema,” said Meghnath.

The three filmmakers from Ranchi have been acclaimed in various film festivals in the country and abroad.

Sriprakash bagged the Rajat Kamal in 2010, while Biju and Meghnath won it at the 58th National Film Awards this year.

All three films to be screened at the New Delhi platform bear the distinct signatures of their creators.

Baha (Flower), a Nagpuri feature film, tells the story of a tribal youth’s struggle to become a singer in the background of the Jharkhand music industry.

Garhi Lohardaga Mail (Train to Lohardaga), a short Nagpuri film, is a portrait of a common man during a train journey on the Ranchi-Lohardaga narrow gauge section.

Sona Gahi Pinjara (The Golden Cage), a short Kurukh musical, highlights how working tribals can’t attend their festivals such as Nayakhani, a harvest feast, as their employers don’t recognise those.

To be held at India Habitat Centre’s Gulmohar Hall from August 8 to 12, organisers expect Connecting India to be a platform for cinematic dialogue among different Indias that coexist but don’t interact.

Different from each other and from mainstream fare in identity, content and style, the films from Ranchi, Imphal, Leh, Niyamgiri and Malegaon will feature categories such as shorts, documentaries and musical videos.