A Reminescence Booklet by Reginald Sunn

Indian Panorama Film Festival

3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th March 2014

U Soso Tham Auditorium & State Convention Centre, Shillong

Indian Panorama Film Festival

hillong was treated to the best of recent Indian cinema at the Indian Panorama Film Festival, held in the city from March 3-6, 2014. Spread over the course of four days, the city played host to an event that delighted art lovers with enriching examples of Indian cinema and workshops spurring the creative minds of the public.

Meghalaya’s Ka Lad, Meshua & Melody, and Wym Hasa were screened at the festival. Other movies screened were Taare Zameen Par, Mangesh Hadawale’s Dekh Indian Circus, Anjan Dutt’s The Bong Connection, Ship of Theseus, Nishtha Jain’s Gulabi Gang, Lessons in Forgetting and Veena Bakshi’s The Coffin Maker. Baandhon, Ko:Yaad (Assamese), Leipaklei (Manipuri) were also screened at the event.

Kumar Jain, Director of the Directorate of Film Festivals explained that one of the reasons for taking the film festival around the country is to promote the culture of filmmaking.

The event was organised by the Department of Information and Public Relations, Government of Meghalaya, and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India, through the Directorate of Film Festivals.

The films were screened at U Soso Tham Auditorium, with the State Convention Centre playing host to a seminar and workshops on filmmaking, cinematography, audio in cinema and acting. Other attractions at the four-day event included an exhibition on 100 Years of Indian Cinema which was organised in partnership with the Directorate of Advertising and Visual Publicity.

The film festival also saw an array of open air music concerts as well as flash mobs, breakout dance acts, cultural troupes and traditional performances. Performances were seen from Meghalaya’s rising stars Khmih Shillong Group, Na la Rympei, Cubicles, Colours, 4th Element and many more groups like North East Jazz Collectors, Gitanjali Dance Academy, Pynter Orchestra and Summersalt.

Besides the thirteen films screened over the four-day event, a range of workshops were also organised open to filmmakers, students and the general public. Leading names in the Indian film industry were welcomed to the city, such as Kirron Kher, Ameesha Patel, Kainaat Arora, Bruna Abdullah, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, director Veena Bakshi and producer Ronnie Lahiri.

Cinema, as was pointed out at a press conference, has a way of breaking boundaries and can also prove to be a major part of the local economy. At the press conference, Mr. Rajeev

The festival was inaugurated by the Honourable Governor of Meghalaya Dr K.K. Paul on March 3, following which Dekh Indian Circus was screened.

Altogether, the Indian Panorama Film Festival, the largest film festival in the North East was one of the biggest events in the 2014 calendar, an event that helped raise the profile of a developing Meghalaya.

Movie Preview W ith its commitment to bringing the best of recent Indian cinema to a wide audience, the International Film Festival of India (IFFI), through the Indian Panorama Film Festival arrived in Shillong on March 3 with examples of entertaining, yet thoughtprovoking, cinema from around the country. The films explore the beautiful, and sometimes tortuous, lives of their cast of characters, including a carpenter forced by circumstances to build coffins (The Coffin Maker), a seemingly unconnected group of people in Mumbai pulled together by fate (Ship of Theseus) and four individuals in the very heart of Shillong, whose story is told over the course of a single day (Ka Lad). Directed by Gautam Syiem and Dondor

Lyngdoh, Ka Lad was screened on March 4, the second day of the four-day event.

stockbroker face in a witty and moving manner.

Ship of Theseus and The Coffin Maker both received their screening on March 5, with another eight films spread across the festival.

The 2012 film received critical acclaim both internationally and at home, putting Gandhi on the map and demonstrating a vision of Indian cinema very different to the mainstream.

The two young Meghalaya filmmakers saw Ka Lad screened at the IFFI late last year as part of a special section celebrating North Eastern cinema and the short film (26 minutes long) had its premiere in Shillong at the Indie8 Film Festival held in August. Ship of Theseus was also shown at the same event, giving Shillongites another chance to catch both films. The Anand Gandhi-directed feature length movie deals philosophically with the issues a photographer, monk and

Set in Goa, The Coffin Maker, directed by first-timer Veena Bakshi, also received praise during last year’s IFFI, with the Hindustan Times stating that the film proves why lead actor Naseeruddin Shah “is India’s best”. Shah plays Anton Gomes, a carpenter making a living by producing coffins after falling on hard times, who sees his life transformed after a meeting with Death, played by Randeep Hooda.

Indian Panaroma Film Festival

Day One

he first day of the Indian Panorama Film Festival was a treat for the senses with the opening function setting the tone for what was one of the biggest events in Shillong’s history. A beautiful cultural performance, involving dance and song from around the state, at U Soso Tham Auditorium was warmly received by members of the public as well as the invited stars from Bollywood, including Kainaat Aurora, Bruna Abdullah and Nawazuddin Siddiqui, among others. Joint Secretary of the I&B Ministry, Shri Raghvendra Singh, expressed a hope that the festival becomes a regular feature of the Indian film calendar and thereby provide continuous encouragement for the industry in Meghalaya. The Honourable Governor of Meghalaya, Dr. K.K. Paul, opened the festival with a speech where he encouraged filmmakers to explore the

varied attractions that the state has to offer. “The North East is a multi-shaded mosaic,” Dr. Paul said. “Its interaction with the rest of the country is a vital issue and the role of film is important to the issue of cultural integration. What we need is a commercially successful North East film that has wide appeal over the whole country. “Films are the most powerful form of expression in the media, bringing joy, laughter and tears to our eyes. These festivals not only give the opportunity to watch movies, but also to motivate talent to come up. They are also a source of learning.” “Shillong has talent, there is music in the air and we have a beautiful environment with air that could put life into anything,” he concluded, encouraging the film industry to take advantage of magnificent Meghalaya. Earlier in the day, Minister of Information and

Public Relations Shri AL Hek opened the photo exhibition on 100 Years of Indian Cinema at the State Convention Centre. Speaking before the first workshop, conducted by Shri K. Hariharan on the subject of filmmaking in front of hundreds of students and members of the public, Hek described it as a “great honour and pleasure to host such a prestigious event in our beautiful state.” He also promoted Meghalaya as a film destination, saying “Meghalaya is a studio by itself. The North East may be facing constraints, but over the years a number of filmmakers have produced movies in the local languages. While most may not be trained, their love of films has empowered them to take the plunge into unknown territories.” After the inaugural function at U Soso Tham Auditorium, the first film of the four-day event was screened – Dekh Indian Circus – in which Siddiqui is the lead actor.

Indian Panaroma Film Festival

Day Two

t a special seminar as part of the Indian Panorama Film Festival, it was announced that the I&B Ministry, along with the state government, plans to have an annual film festival in the city. Chief Minister Dr. Mukul Sangma, who inaugurated the seminar, also suggested sponsoring film students to intern with director Veena Bakshi and producer Ronnie Lahiri, who both made an offer to provide experience of the wider world of cinema to people from Meghalaya. “This is the first edition of the Indian Panorama Film Festival in Shillong and it is a humble beginning which will go a long way to set the momentum for us to take advantage of the ever-growing film and entertainment industry,” Dr Sangma said in his address. The Chief Minister also talked about how film could act as a means for further national integration.

“We need to build our brand, which will allow us to address the disconnect that is sometimes present between the North East and the rest of the country. That will go a long way to strengthening the integration of the nation,” Dr. Sangma said. “As policymakers, the Government of Meghalaya will come up with an appropriate and exclusive policy to further the growth of the industry and enable talented youth to realise their dream. This is our commitment to the people and Government of India. We must dream bigger and make this development bigger and we will do it jointly.” Citing Meghalaya’s natural beauty as one of its many qualities, the Chief Minister said that it is important that the state not copy any other. “The state must have its own exclusivity and leverage that exclusivity through branding. We shouldn’t try to replicate other places, like Goa,” he said.

Dr. Sangma’s views were echoed by the other speakers at the seminar. Raghvendra Singh, Joint Secretary of the Ministry of I&B, said that with the Government of India simplifying the process for acquiring permissions to shoot films, the time is ripe for states to pitch to filmmakers. He also suggested that Shillong could become a regional hub for film festivals. “We very willingly and gladly agreed to further festivals and we will begin work on it right after this event ends,” Singh said. Other speakers, including directors K. Hariharan, Rakesh Tekwani, Veena Bakshi and producer Ronnie Lahiri emphasised the need to tell stories from Meghalaya and not ape Bollywood or Goa, etc. Lahiri, who grew up in Shillong, also said that he is developing a script set in the city.

Indian Panaroma Film Festival

Day Three

ith a long-standing connection to the North East, Kirron Kher was another ideal guest on the penultimate day of the Indian Panorama Film Festival. She was delighted with the cultural performances that preceded her interaction with film students and other enthusiasts at the State Convention Centre, referring to the girls of the Khmih Shillong Group as “my little darlings” and telling them that they performed even better that day than they did when on India’s Got Talent, where Kher was a judge. This was not the first visit of the versatile actor to Shillong and she also told the audience of her connection to the region as a child, as her father was an army officer posted in various parts of the “special” North East. In her motivating talk, Kher emphasised the

need for people from the North East who want to succeed in mainstream Indian cinema to be able to communicate in the language of most films, i.e., Hindi. “Then”, she said, “North Eastern singers, dancers, actors and editors would all find a place on the national stage.” “It is a great loss that we don’t have so many people from here over there, which we would love to have. We have a lovely, diverse country,” Kher added. “What should stop them? Nothing at all. Pursue your dreams with passion and integrity and coming from the North East will not be a barrier to you.” Despite being on the road for much of the day, she warmly fielded questions from an audience that was a little shy to begin with, but opened up with some insightful queries. One question was whether Kher had a message for those who might judge or

discriminate against people from the North East and she responded with a powerful statement that drew wide applause. “I would like to tell the whole of the world to please don’t judge our beautiful children by your own silly, narrow standards. Let them blossom, give them respect and dignity and a right to live in peace and harmony with all of us anywhere in this great country of ours.” Earlier in the day there was a well-attended workshop on film direction, led by Anjan Dutt. He answered many questions from the audience on the subject and there were also contributions by fellow directors Veena Bakshi and Goutam Ghose. Five films were screened at U Soso Tham Auditorium on the third day, including the moving Leipaklei and Baandhon. The evening feature was The Coffin Maker, which was directed by Veena Bakshi.

Indian Panaroma Film Festival

Day Four

he curtain came down on the Indian Panorama Film Festival in Shillong on the final day and the four-day event could only be described as a grand success.

Drawing film stars, directors, producers, students and enthusiasts together, Shillong can take pride in the way it hosted the biggest film festival in the North East. Throughout the course of the fest, the luminaries from Indian cinema praised the natural beauty of Meghalaya as well as the many talents of its people. Actor Ameesha Patel brought the festival to a close by echoing what many have said earlier about the beauty of the region. “The North East is so beautiful, I really don’t know why we’re always going off to shoot in Switzerland or Italy,” Patel said. Thousands of students and other members

of the public from around the state and beyond attended the various workshops, film screenings and music events and played their part in the ultimate triumph of the event. Hosting the event has broken new ground for Meghalaya, a state that is determined to put itself on the cinematic map of the country. New initiatives were spoken of by Meghalaya Chief Minister Dr. Mukul Sangma when he addressed a special seminar on promoting the state as a filming destination. Raghvendra Singh, Join Secretary Ministry I&B, also said that the central government is committed to helping Meghalaya grow in its cinematic scope and make the film fest an annual event. Three screenings and three workshops were held on the final day. Hardik Mehta first gave the assembled

audience at the State Convention Centre a run through his experience of Bollywood through a workshop entitled “Stepping into the Big Bad World of Bollywood”. A workshop on acting by director Mushtaq Kak and one on storytelling by the vivacious Ramesh Tekwani closed out proceedings at the Convention Centre. The films on offer at U Soso Tham Auditorium were The Bong Connection, Khasi film Meshua & Melody, whose stars Merlvin Mukhim and Sweety Pala were present, and critically acclaimed documentary Gulabi Gang, which ended the sequence of screenings. Nishtha Jain, director of the final film, was also present to answer questions from the audience. The festival was formally brought to a close in the presence of A.L. Hek, Minister IPR, with a throbbing music show with acts like Colours and Cubicles, among others, going on well into the evening.

Ronnie Lahiri B A Candid Conversation with Producer

orn in Nagaland and brought up in Shillong, Ronnie Lahiri has caught Bollywood with his not-somainstream but fantastic movies. Having produced remarkable movies like Vicky Donor and Madras Cafe, Ronnie shared his nostalgia, his upcoming films and wish to shoot in Shillong in an interview with TNTThe Northeast Today.

This is your first time to Shillong after twenty years. How does it feel? Very nostalgic! It brings back a lot of memories. My life is divided into two partsThe first twenty years I lived in Shillong and the next twenty years I lived in Delhi and Mumbai. Shillong is so different now. There’s a lot of traffic and it’s just crazy. There are constructions everywhere. I think that’s the price we pay for development, but I think they should retain the old Shillong charm.

Interviewed by Priya Konthoujam

You’ve worked with John Abraham, in Vicky Donor and Madras Café…how was it like? Do you like him better as an actor or a producer?

While your stay here twenty years back, the town went through turbulent times. Do you plan or wish to make a movie on that? Do you plan to shoot any movie in Shillong?

I like him best as a friend. People say John can’t act but you need to understand everyone has limits and you need to have that balance. For example, in Madras Cafe he was apt for that role and we were happy with his performance. In fact, we’re doing a film on football called 1911 set in Calcutta. It’s about a football match that happened in 1911 between the Indian team and the British football team; about Mohun Bagan beating the British team (East Yorkshire Regiment) and becoming the first native team to have won the IFA Shield in 1911. We’re starting work next year. Again, John is in it as an actor and a co-producer. With time, we’ve become really good friends and we like working together.

I haven’t thought about it so far. I have a subject developing which is based in Shillong. It’s about a boxer from Shillong, but it’s too early to talk about it. Hopefully, next year, we’ll go into production. And honestly, I have never faced any problems and troubles in Shillong and in fact, have good Khasi friends. Thankfully, there’s good harmony in Shillong now. About shooting in Shillong, I want to do a TV commercial shoot here besides the boxer movie. We’re having talks with the government and discussed at the seminar regarding the local government’s assistance. By getting us permissions to shoot in the region, not only will it provide boost in tourism but also generate employment

opportunities to the locals here. The state will benefit and most importantly, budding filmmakers will learn from filmmakers from outside the region about filmmaking. But why does’t Bollywood shoot movies in the Northeast? Are people paranoid about the region? Everyone likes the Northeast, but now and then people read a lot about Northeast and have the notion that it is militant infested. In fact, I can say that Mumbai is not safer. Everyone wants to shoot here because they know it’s a beautiful region. The bigger problem which I, as a producer, always felt when I wanted to come here and shoot is the basic logistics. If I have to come here and shoot I have to carry everything from Bombay and earlier, there weren’t even direct flights to Guwahati; so then it was too much of a travel carrying the entire crew and equipments. In fact, going to Thailand

becomes cheaper then. So if we, at the least, have the basic equipments here, it will become easier for us, otherwise it’s difficult to justify. So, as a producer, I think that’s another reason too. What movies are in the pipeline under your banner ‘Rising Sun Films’? We’re doing the football and the boxer movie. We’re also making a movie with first time director Amit Roy, the cinematographer of Sarkar. It’s called Running Shaadi.com. It’s basically about helping people elope. Then there’s another film on human relationships called Piku. That’s with Mr. Bachchan; we’re finalising the rest of the cast soon. Do you plan to direct a movie any time soon or stick to production only? I’m happy with what I am doing. Everybody wants to do the other person’s job, but frankly, I’m happy with what I’m doing.

Government of India Ministry of Information and Broadcasting

Directorate of Information and Public Relations, Government of Meghalaya

Print Partner

Directorate of Film Festivals

TNT - The Northeast Today Magazine

International Film Festival, India

The Information & Public Relations Department, Government of Meghalaya