“If you haven’t experienced hunger, if you haven’t experienced what it feels not to be certain, where will you spend your night, then you can not become a successful filmmaker,” said Sudipto Sen, Director of successful movies like ‘The Kerala Story’ and ‘Bastar: The Naxal Story.’ He was speaking at Vasantrao Naik State Agriculture Extension Management Training Institute (VANAMATI) auditorium here on Friday. During the screening programme of short films. The event was held to mark the fifth Chitra Bharati Film Festival, that was held at Panchkula, Haryana recently. Sudipto Sen, who faced a barrage of criticism before screening of his film ‘The Kerala Story’, asked the audience, most of whom were budding filmmakers from the city, not to budge to the pressure and carry on making films they wanted to make fearlessly.

 

He said, “I had to face opposition and criticism during making of the film. Even my team was asking me to drop certain dialogues from the film for the fear that it will create problems after release. But, I kept the dialogues in film as it was the truth of the victim girls told to me and I wanted to show it as it was.” Further explaining the will power one must show to face challenges while making films they want, Sudipto Sen narrated an incident that happened with him in Coonoor in Tamil Nadu while making ‘The Kerala Story.’ He said, “We got a call from our well-wishers in midnight at the hotel we were staying, asking us to vacate it immediately. We had to run through thick forests for about three hours till we crossed Coonoor’s borders after which we were rescued.” Narendra Kumar, all India Sah Prachar Pramukh, Rastriya Swayamsevak Sangha (RSS); and Pramod Bapat, Kshetra Pracharak, RSS, were present at the programme as chief guests.

 

The programme featured screening of award winning short films like ‘Dagina’ by Shoneel Yallattikar which showed a story of emotions, relations and nostalgia connected with golden bonds; ‘Avtari’ by Subodh Anand, a short film shot in Vidarbha by artists from the city; ‘Umbara’ by Pranay Kotangale, a story of will of a disabled boy and his struggle for education; ‘Aaina’ by Sarangi Krushnakumar, a story that underlines importance of treatment of daughter and son of a family regarding sexual violence; and ‘Tik-Tik’ by Nitin Thakare, a filmmaker from the city among others. ‘Nagpur Film Festival’, to be hosted by ‘Bhartiya Chitra Sadhna’ in the city on December 15, was announced at the programme and its poster was unveiled at the hands of the dignitaries present. At the onset, Narendra Kumar made the introductory remarks. Dipali Tekam conducted the proceedings while Dr Ravindra Haridas proposed a vote of thanks.