State flautist to play in reel life - Mumbai-based producer to make docu-drama on musician from Jharkhand

Chetan Joshi performs at a concert.

Ranchi, Nov. 15: A Mumbai-based filmmaker is going to make a documentary-drama on an eminent young flautist from Jharkhand, Chetan Joshi.

Dr. Anupam Ojha, who has made a couple of documentary films, has already started work on the new project, Bhinna Shadaj (a different kind of musical note), which highlights the achievements and struggle of the artist, who hails from Bokaro Steel City.

?The idea behind taking up this project is to highlight the achievements of those young talents who have contributed to the field of art and culture, in a presentable manner so that the young generation not only gets attracted towards it but is also inspired by the artistes. Bhinna Shadaj is the first initiative in this series and docu-drams will be made on many other young artistes after this,? Ojha told The Telegraph.

Ojha said he has already finished the pre-production work on the script and the story of Bhinna Shadaj and has also decided the location that will be Bokaro.

?We have taken a few shots. My target is to finish the project by March 2006,? he added. Ojha, who is making the film under the banner of a Mumbai-based production company, Dashrupakam, is also associated with the Sahara Television.

?Bhinna Shadaj deals with the distinctive style of Joshi?s flute playing as also his personality. Joshi belongs to Bokaro, which does not have much cultural activities. Moreover, he does not come from any musical gharana. Having achieved so much despite so many adversities is quite remarkable,? he said.

?Not only that,? Ojha said, ?he also has a good knowledge of the subject. In the field of music, seldom can one find a qualified performer who also has an equally good knowledge of the theory part.?

He said the docu-drama on Joshi would inspire the young people who plan to take up classical music as their career.

He said the one-hour presentation would not only contain his interview, but also the whole gamut of his style, personality, presented in a dramatic way so that it attracts people. Therefore, we are calling it docu-drama and documentary film, he added.

Ojha, hailing from Buxar (Bihar), is a product of Film and Television Institute, Pune, and has graduated from the Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi.

His recent production was a short film, Mother, which was telecast by a TV channel, NDTV Profit. He has also written a book in Hindi, Bhartiya Cine Sidhant. This is the first book in the language, which deals with the theories and techniques of filmmaking.

Joshi, who has done ?Sangeet Praveen? in flute playing from Prayag Sangeet Samiti, Allahabad, has established himself as one of the upcoming artistes of Jharkhand.

A fellow of Government of India, he has performed in different parts of the country and also in Japan.

Joshi has learnt classical music from Pt Raghunath Seth (Mumbai), late Pt Bholanath Prasanna (Allahabad), Pt Ajay Chakraborty (Calcutta) and Acharya Jagdish (Bokaro).