Film festival highlighting climate and rural issues held in Delhi

New Delhi, Aug 3 (PTI) A total of 14 short films, set in rural India and highlighting critical social and environmental issues, were showcased at a film festival here.

Village Square’s Chitrashaala Short Film Festival, held in Delhi as part of the fourth edition of the India Rural Colloquy Festival, was also attended by filmmaker Muzaffar Ali, actors Adil Hussain and Faisal Malik.

The films showed during the festival's art and craft category include names such as "Mask Art of Majuli" by Utpal Borpujari, "Wooden Tales from Thammampatti" by Vivi Raaj, "Khiew Ranei - Black Clay" by Riah Taipodia and "Dastaan-e-Dastkari-Moradabad".

Priya Thuvassery’s directorial "Coral Woman", Jigar Nagda's "Aravali:The Lost Mountains", Upamanyu Bhattacharyya and Kalp Sanghvi's "Wade", Stenzin Tankong's "Last Days of Summer" and Novita Singh and Amir Malik’s "Jaisalmer’s Khadeens" were the climate change-themed movies.

In a conversation with film critic Saibal Chatterjee, Hussain and Malik, who shot to fame for his role in "Panchayat" spoke about their early influences.

Hussain said Growing up in Goalpara, one of the remotest towns in Assam, he was surrounded by a vibrant cultural scene, from local theatre to Bengali cinema, which deeply influenced his acting.

"I was surprised to meet a young man in Gurgaon who hadn’t heard of the National School of Drama. This highlights how cultural exposure and information flow shape our experiences. My upbringing in Assam and my studies in England have uniquely prepared me to portray diverse roles on screen," the actor, known for a variety of films such as "Life of Pi", "English Vinglish", "Maj Rati Keteki", "Hotel Salvation" and "The Reluctant Fundamentalist", said.

Malik said growing up in Allahabad, he was obsessed with the films of Amitabh Bachchan and Mithun Chakraborty.

"This connection to cinema continues to influence my acting. The process involves a lot of discussion and sometimes disagreements with directors, but it’s all about the actor's understanding and aligning with the vision for the role," he said.

Ali said, "Younger people engaging with crafts across the country can make them more attractive and engaging to a wider audience. Today’s filmmakers view craft multidimensionally, and as more Indian minds get trained in communication and design, this becomes a significant tool for the emancipation of craftspersons." Sameer Kapoor, president, Village Square, said they were constantly looking for interesting ways to raise awareness about heritage and issues connected to rural India.

"Chitrashaala is one such attempt from Village Square to bring voices from across sectors to engage people on these issues," he said.

The event culminated with the screening of the short films, the Sanjay Mishra-starrer "Giddh" (The Scavenger) by Manish Saini, and "Bittu" by Karishma Dev Dube The fourth edition of the India Rural Colloquy 2024, organised by Transform Rural India (TRI), is a series of conversations and events held from August 1-8 across Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, and Chhattisgarh. PTI BK BK BK