Movie Murmur

My association with Films Division first began when my school friends graphically described to me on how Sunil Gavaskar and Gundappa Vishwanth hit boundaries upon boundaries in the 1971 test match against the mighty West Indies team in the Caribbean islands on a newsreel that they saw before the main movie in a local theater, in the early seventies. A couple of days later I did sneak into the movie hall only to savor one of the most significant overseas test cricket victories that the Indian team had  since it started playing cricket Newsreels such as these were produced by Films Division, an organization under the aegis of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting of the Government of India. The exhibition of these newsreels were mandated by law - a practice first initiated in pre-independence India by the British, mainly to promote their war efforts. 'The Information Films of India', was what the unit was called then. After independence, this unit was transformed

The Unbearable Being of Lightness A few days back I gave some finishing touches to my new work "The Unbearable Being of Lightness", a documentary on a suicide note, a few gazes and a shopping area. I was putting in the credit titles into it. The last title card always is 'A film by...'. Every time I type this title card I invariably hesitate, giving a pause. This time too, it was no exception. As I deleted the words 'film by' I stared into the blank title card wondering, as always, is this really a film? After all I had not used a 'thin flexible strip of plastic or other material coated with light-sensitive emulsion for exposure in a camera, used to produce photographs or motion pictures' to make this work. I had used a digital camera. I thought of using 'A video by...'. But somehow the images of fungus ridden U-matic magnetic tapes that we used to work on ages ago splashed into my mind. No one uses 'A video by...'.

Promo of Rice and Rasam ( ಅನ್ನ ಸಾರು ) Synopsis: ‘Rice and Rasam’ captures the daily struggles, routines, joys, conflicts, and the nomadic lives of an ensemble of professional artists of two units of a touring theater company as they struggle to remain relevant and survive amidst dwindling audiences; and in the face of rapidly changing economic, cultural and political contexts. Producer: Rajiv Mehrotra, PSBT Director: Ramchandra PN Duration of the film: 52 mins Also watch the  excerpt of Rice and Rasam (ಅನ್ನ ಸಾರು) At Kannada Blog -  Yenaark If you are looking to arrange a screening for your club / college / house / office please click HERE                                                                                A  Few Stills

(Downloadable; can be used anywhere) BV Karanth - Baba - A documentary film on the renowned theater personality Shri BV Karanth. Based on his autobiography 'Illiralaare, Allige Hogallaare' (I can't stay here, but I won't also go there...); complied by the Kannada writer Vaidehi . Produced by Films Division Duration: 93 Mins Camera: Sameer Mahajan Sound: Santosh Kumar Additional Camera: Pandurange Gowda Executive Producer, Editor & Director: Ramchadnra PN Stills from the film Working stills during the shooting of the film.  If you are looking to arrange a screening for your club / college / house / office please click HERE