Report from http://upperstall.com/lensight.html

It appears they are rleasing some of these films on DVD - thats pretty sweet



I actually didn’t want to go. The prospects of spending an entire day watching FTII diploma films made by the latest batch of students didn’t seem too bright at all. After all I knew a few things about FTII diploma films. I had made one ten years back, damn it! But then it’s always a pleasure to meet up with batch mates. Compare notes and paunches. So I went.

But what happened that day (September 3rd, 2005) was something totally unimaginable for me. I hardly spent a few minutes interacting with an odd batch mate or two; and landed up watching all of the sixteen films screened at the Len sight Film festival. And guess what? I’d want to watch a few of them again…and again. And the good news is that I can actually do it. They are on DVD! My dear, dear FTII, meri jaan, u have come a loooong way baby! Also, I want to say some heavy-duty emotional stuff that I felt. But before that…

Cut to the beginning…

As my taxi neared Ravindra Natya Mandir in Mumbai where the films were being screened, I heard shehanai playing and cracked a joke to myself that Aaah! Married prints are being shown…good good…

The minute I stepped in to the venue, there was a buzz. A gush of energy and excitement saying welcome, welcome swagatam! There was colour, warmth. And it was packed. Current students with a spring in their walk, ex –students exulting on seeing each other with characteristic profanities, regular ‘festival faces’, some hardcore industry types, teachers from FTII, graying light boys, tutorial section female staff in demure huddles, and lots of regular human beings whom we shall call the ‘audience types’. And in exactly ten seconds, I refused to believe that I had passed out ten years back! But the jhakaas posters in cool colours screamed at me. They said this is some thing different boss. Some thing that looks maha professional.Get in fast and fasten your seat belt. Time to go on a ‘trip’. But not before I grabbed a sexy looking brouchere that looked good enough to eat.

And now for the meat.

Sixteen 20 minute 35 mm colour films of the batch of 2004 –2005. A ‘strikewala’ batch that has offered a ‘striking’ body of work. Andt with dollopz of attitude. Take it or leave it.

Ok. I don’t want to go overboard. A good half of them were regular diploma stuff. Like a lot of us made - indulgent, amateurish, supposedly experimental and of course angst ridden. And oh yes – Boring!

But even these weaker films were reasonably strong in execution, actor handling, dialoguing and ‘production values’. One saw ‘mehanat’. And hardwork is a good way to start. What?!

Now for the better ones. Uniformly, each one of these films have given birth to young film makers and technicians with astonishing control over their craft and refreshing stories to tell. And how!

Personally, I’d like to mention three films that blew me.

Girni – The national award winning gem of a film. By far one of the most accomplished film I have ever seen coming out of the FTII stable. One Girni every year and I bet my butt, Indian cinema ki naiyya paar!

Kashya Tra Ghya – Ok. Budhijeevi film making. Not apun ka cup of cutting chai. But one can’t but be in awe of the highly engaging audiovisual tapestry this film takes u through. Kumar Sahani-Mani Kaul-Kamal Swaroop eshmyle pleej!

Oadh – my favourite of the lot. I mean how many diplomas have managed to keep the audiences in splits? Actually laughing their heads off! So unpretentiously a slice of life. Touching and… and…and….just get that DVD and watch it!

On the whole, this aesthetically very, very diverse bouquet of films, exude a very reassuring aroma that fills ones lungs with love and pride for each one of the students who have become firm root lings of the wisdom tree. With out wanting to sound corny, I’d want to say to each one of u….guys…we all have shared a womb…and mommy is maha proud of u.. Cine-ma khush huien!

A few stray thoughts: Looks like the call of the sea was a recurring motif in many of the flicks. A new ‘wave’?

It goes with out saying that films made in mother tongues sound and shape up so much more easy on the cinematic eye and ear. I hope, in some way, in the coming years we see films made in as diverse languages as the students themselves.

The idea to have this festival and release DVD’s every year is kick ass. Now how about a pitching forum to go with it? - A script and project development forum / fund that can tap both state and private bodies and bring them together with the passing out students? Loha garam hai maar lo hathoda types.

Ok. There were Ashutosh Gowarikar and Shambabu Benegal as invited guests. I was leafing through the brochures as they made their polite speeches. Next time, can we have a few early batch FTII dada daddies on stage pleases? I liked a joke Ashutosh Gowarikar cracked. He said he also made a video short film as his private diploma film and showed it to Aamir and Shah Rukh Khan….Ha ha ha….

Also, there was a party after the festival. I did not attend. So no idea what happened. HOPE no beer bottles were smashed and hope no ‘TV ke tuchcheis’ were invoked.

Adios…until next year….

Charudutt Acharya is an alumnus of the FTII having specialized in Film Direction (1995).



Here is some additional info on the film The Grinding Machine (Girni) that the author is raving about




Program: India Spotlight 2
Produced by: Tripurari Sharan
Screenplay: Umesh Vinayak Kulkarni
Cinematography: Manoj Raymond Lobo
Editing: Krishnendu Sarkar
Sound: Sreekumar S
Music: Shrirang Umrani
Cast: Madan Deodhar, Renuka Daftardar
Animation:
Awards:
Print Source: Tripurari Sharan, Film & Television Institute of India
91 20 25431010
91 20 25430416
mailto:tripsharan@yahoo.co.uk

Synopsis: Ten-year-old Samir is excited to become an entrepreneur when his mother buys a grinding machine. But as the noise from the machine plays havoc with his routine, Samir resorts to desperate measures to restore peace and harmony to his life.