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Mumbai International Film Festival helps you to get prospective clients: G L Bhardwaj

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G L Bhardwaj

A stalwart filmmaker like G. L. Bhardwaj has come to showcase his 10 min documentary film titled Educating Tribal Girls in the special screening category, in the ongoing 14th Mumbai International Film Festival (MIFF) for documentary, shorts and animation. G. L. Bhardwaj, having crossed the 88 summers of his life is still going strong.

Can you give us a brief insight of your illustrious work as a documentary and short filmmaker?

Even at this ripe young age of 88 years I consider myself a self taught and a self made man. In the beginning of my career I had the privilege of working with the Late Raj Kapoor in R. K. Studios as a Stills Cameraman from the year 1951 to the year 1955. But now I am like a one man army solely donning the hat of a producer, director, cinematographer, writer and editor. And I sometimes handle all this designations rolled into one under my own production banner namely Bhardwaj Films. I am a full-fledged documentary and short filmmaker having made scores of films for India’s largest documentary organization namely Films Division, Government of India and even for the small screen arena. Besides I have also made documentary and short films for American Broadcasting Company based in New York, Worldwide Television London and several foreign film productions. I have been invited to many foreign film festivals and I have also served as a Jury Members of many National and International film festivals both in India and across the seven seas.

Can you enlist some of the remarkable documentary and short films that you have made till this date?

Some of my remarkable documentary and short films are Festival Time, Land Of Krishna, Fibre – The Fabric Of Life, Mata Ganga, Yamuna, Destination Bombay, Welcome To India, This Is Not My Story, There Are Others, Drought, Woman Cart Pullers, Woman Labourers, Melody Of Monsoon, Kanak Rele, 50 Years Of Hindi, India Love And Devotion, Udham Singh – Freedom Fighter, Savita Rathi – Sarpanch and many, many more and all of them have bagged awards galore both on the National and International front. And now I have come to MIFF with my latest film Educating Tribal Girls which was screened yesterday in a special screening category.

Tell us something more about Educating Tribal Girls.

The story of Educating Tribal Girls takes place in the year 1974. Purnima Pakvasa started a school under a tree with just 15 tribal girls in the tribal district of Saputara on the border of Gujarat and Maharashtra. The school was called the Vishwa Vidyapeeth Girls High School and it was meant for the Dangi tribal girls. Purnima Pakvasa is now 103 years old and is still active. She also happens to be the mother of the great classical dancer named Sonal Mansingh.

Do you have any regrets whatsoever in your career?

My only regret is that even a stalwart documentary and short filmmaker like me does not get an assigned job from the concerned persons and authorities. I had to wait for at least six years before coming up with my latest film Educating Tribal Girls. My last films were Udham Singh – Freedom Fighter and Savitha Rathi – Sarpanch in the year 2008 and 2010 respectively.

What do you think could be the real reason behind this non – assigning of jobs even for a stalwart filmmaker like you?

Earlier Ii used to get a job, just a phone call away but now I have to pitch my work in front of a lot of concerned people.

What do you think of the currently ongoing MIFF?

I think that the Mumbai International Film Festival held every two years is a great opportunity for documentary and short filmmakers to interact with each other. It also helps in networking with the concerned people in your same work arena. It also helps you to get prospective buyers and clients. But I only lament the fact that it only takes place once in two years. It’s like serving all tasty food all at once. After all how much can you partake at one time so I think MIFF should certainly take place every year.

Censor Board refuses to give reasons why it rejected the documentary on Modi elections

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40 days after the censor board declared to the media that they have refused to give a censor certificate to Kamal Swaroop’s documentary THE BATTLE FOR BANARAS, the censor board is yet to officially communicate to the producer the reason for the rejection of the film.

The documentary was officially invited to play at the 17th Jio Mami Mumbai Film Festival but the invitation was withdrawn in the absence of clarity on the censor certificate. “This lack of clarity & communication from the censor board is irresponsible,” says Manu Kumaran (BOMBAY BOYS, YELLOW, STORAGE 24) the producer of the film. “It’s outrageous that the censor board chief Pahalaj Nihalani has the time to run down the film in the media but has no time to do his duty of communicating officially the reason for the rejection of the film,” says Kumaran.

Director Kamal Swaroop adds, “It is an attempt to understand the crowd phenomenon, anthropologically, without getting into voter politics,” he argues, pointing out that people are talking not just about Arvind Kejriwal & Narendra Modi in the film but also about 40 other candidates across political parties. “Of course the main face – off is between Modi & Kejriwal with the latter having a slight edge till the polarisation happened. Then, the Muslim votes went to him while Modi swept the Hindu votes, including the Dalits.”

The film was screened for the censor board on 27th Aug, 2015. “We contest each & every claim made by Mr Nihalani in the media. The film is neither pro Kejriwal or against any politician. It is not a political satire. Kamal Swaroop has only documented what happened in the general election,” said Kumaran. “We will fight this unjust ruling of the censor board. But this can happen if instead of talking to the media, they officially issue a letter stating the reasons for rejection. This delay tactic by the censor is both unwanted & unprecedented,” says Kumaran.

Inspired by Nobel laureate Elias Canetti’s book, “Crowds And Power”, the documentary, THE BATTLE FOR BANARAS captures the excitement, the madness & the noise behind the high – octane poll battle in the holy city of Banaras, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s parliamentary constituency.

And in the process, for the 1st time lays bare the equation & the politics of democracy called India. Produced by Manu Kumaran & Mediente International Films, the documentary was shot in 4K, over a 44 – day schedule in Banaras during the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

BCI issues show cause notices to lawyers for anti-women remarks

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Defence lawyers in Delhi gangrape case, M L Sharma and A P Singh (Photo: PTI/DC)

Defence lawyers in Delhi gangrape case, M L Sharma and A P Singh (Photo: PTI/DC)

New Delhi: The Bar Council of India (BCI) late last night issued show cause notices to two lawyers who had appeared for the accused in the December 16 gangrape case for allegedly making derogatory anti-women remarks.

“We have issued the show cause notices to M L Sharma and A P Singh for their alleged remarks made in the (BBC) documentary,” BCI Chairman Manan Kumar Mishra said.

The lawyers’ apex body took the decision around midnight after its executive committee meeting in which it was found that there is a “prima facie” case of professional misconduct against these lawyers.

The notices have been issued under a provision of the advocates act and their licences to practice may be cancelled if BCI is not satisfied with their response.

Meanwhile, advocate Sharma refuted the charge, saying he has said nothing wrong to anybody.

In the controversial BBC documentary on the gang rape, Sharma reportedly said such incidents of rape are bound to happen if girls go out without proper security.

(PTI)

Revoke Ban on Nirbhaya Documentary: Editors Guild of India

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New Delhi: The Editors Guild of India today slammed the government’s move to ban ‘India’s Daughter,’ the documentary about the brutal gang-rape and murder of a 23-year-old medical student in a moving bus in Delhi in December 2012, and appealed for the ban to be revoked.

Calling the ban wholly unwarranted, the Editors Guild said it is based on misunderstanding of the power and the message behind the film.

Following is the full statement by the Editors Guild:

The Government of India’s move in banning the telecast of the BBC documentary ‘India’s Daughter’ depicting the aftermath of the brutal gang rape and murder of Nirbhaya is wholly unwarranted, based as it is on a misunderstanding of the power and the message behind it. The documentary portrays the courage, sensitivity and liberal outlook of a family traumatised by the brutality inflicted on the daughter, the continuing shameful attitudes towards women among the convict as well as the educated including lawyers and multiple voices in support of women’s freedom and dignity including students, former Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, Justice Leila Seth, Oxford academic Maria Misra and senior advocate and former Solicitor General Gopal Subramaniam. While the Supreme Court has declared that there should be the broadest freedom to express even the most unacceptable of views, the message that emerges from the documentary is wholly positive and its power is such as to make people re-examine their own attitudes and the attitudes of people around them.

The Nirbhaya incident has been an obvious matter of public interest and has through all the stages of the investigation, trial and confirmation by the high court, been subject to a widespread public debate and discussion, protests and demonstrations and enquiry by the Justice Verma Commission that suggested reform of the law. To raise the issue of sub judice now at the stage of final appeal in the Supreme Court and seek to still discussion is absurd. Judges, particularly in the Supreme Court, are by training and temperament immune to the happenings in the public sphere outside the court, and it is an insult to the Supreme Court to suggest that the airing of the convict’s perverted views would tend to interfere with the course of justice.

Prompted by initial expressions of outrage, including by members of Parliament, over the views of the convict included in the documentary, the Government seems to have decided on the ban without viewing the documentary in its entirety. The rationale that the ban was in the interests of justice and public order as the film “created a situation of tension and fear amongst women” and as that the convict would use the media to further his case in the appeal that was sub-judice seems to be an afterthought.

The Editors Guild of India appeals to the Government of India to revoke the ban forthwith and enable the people to view what is a positive and powerful documentary touching on the freedom, dignity and safety of women.

Everyone must watch 'India's Daughter': Nirbhaya's Father

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nirbhaya-father

New Delhi: A day after the Nirbhaya documentary ‘India’s Daughter’ caused a ruckus in the Parliament, urging the government to ban the telecast in India, Nirbhaya’s father said that the ‘documentary holds a mirror to the society.’

Speaking to NDTV, Nirbhaya’s father said that ‘banning the documentary will only encourage people more to see it.’

“Everyone should watch the film. If a man can speak like that in jail, imagine what he would say if he was walking free,” said the father of the young woman who was brutally gang-raped, tortured and killed by six men, including a 17-year-old, on a moving bus.

The woman came to be known as “Nirbhaya” or fearless, and became a symbol for India’s fight to check crimes against women.

“The documentary exposes what is happening. If the country has taken a decision, we have to accept it,” he told the news channel.

Despite the opposition from the Indian government BBC Four aired the documentary early on Thursday morning.

The documentary is based on the 2012 Delhi gangrape which shook the nation. It includes interviews of Nirbhaya’s parents, doctors, lawyers and one of the accused Mukesh Singh. The filmmaker Leslee Udwin too appealed to the Indian government that banning the documentary was not right.

Actor Mohan Babu manhandles reporter, politicos condemn assault on the media

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New Delhi: Cutting across party lines, several politicians on Wednesday condemned actor Mohan Babu’s indecent gesture towards a reporter and said there can’t be any excuse for assaulting the media.

The actor pushed a journalist of a leading English channel when the scribe asked former home minister Sushil Kumar Shinde to respond to the ongoing controversy surrounding the Nirbhaya documentary.

BJP leader Nalin Kohli said the media’s job is to ask questions and added that there cannot be any excuse for assaulting the media.

“Of course, people may raise or have issues related to their privacies, non-intrusion may be there. So, I would say that is condemnable. Nobody should assault the media. They are doing its job,” he added.

Congress leader Renuka Chaudhary also echoed similar sentiments and appealed for self-regulation of the media and general public.

“I am not aware what the facts are. The media, public, people have a relationship that sometimes go this way or sometimes go that way. Violence in general that we do not approve of and it would be best if we could regulate our self and see that we do not step on each others’ toes,” she said.

(ANI)

Gang-rape documentary: BBC telecasts film in UK as India calls for worldwide ban

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mukesh-singh

New Delhi: The British Broadcasting Corporation on Thursday morning (IST) telecast the controversial documentary in UK featuring one of the December 16 gang-rape convicts despite Indian government’s call to block the film worldwide.

The documentary’s broadcast was advanced by the BBC from its original March 8 scheduled date, coinciding with International Women’s Day.

Meanwhile, the Delhi Police is, reportedly, likely to question Leslee Udwin, the British filmmaker who made documentary and interviewed convict Mukesh Singh in Tihar jail here.

The Home Ministry on Wednesday obtained orders from court to restrain the broadcast of the documentary and promising to investigate how permission was given to interview the rapist.

The issue was raised in both houses of parliament, as members across party lines asked the government to stop the telecast of the documentary saying it insulted women.

“Our government condemns the incident of December 16, 2012 in the strongest possible terms and will not allow any attempt by any individual, group or organisation to leverage such unfortunate incidents for commercial benefits,” Home Minister Rajnath Singh said in a statement in both houses of Parliament on Wednesday.

“In what condition this order was given I have asked for full information on that. In future, no one will be given permission to interview rapists,” the Home Minister said, as both houses saw members protest against the documentary.

Rajnath Singh said the permission for the documentary was granted in 2013, adding that the documentary maker violated the conditions on which the permission was granted.

Sushilkumar Shinde, who was the home minister in 2013, however, said he was not responsible for it.

“I had not given any permission to make a documentary on the Nirbhaya case. It was not given by me. I observed the conversation in parliament, Rajnath Singh has not mentioned my name. It must have been given by somebody, I do not know,” Shinde told reporters on Wednesday.

Making similar statements in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, the home minister said orders were obtained from court Tuesday night to restrain the broadcast of the documentary.

A Delhi court on Wednesday directed continuation of the ban on the telecast of the documentary.

Rajnath Singh said he was personally hurt when he got to know about the documentary.

“I would like to make it clear. As soon as I got to know about this incident, I was personally hurt. I immediately talked to the concerned authorities and gave instructions that it should not be telecast in any condition, and (restraining) orders were taken from court last night (Tuesday) that whatever has been telecast should not be released,” he said.

As the Home Minister promised responsibility will be fixed, official sources said Tihar jail director general Alok Verma met him on Wednesday on the issue.

Parliament members across party lines condemned the interview of the December 16 gang rape convict, while some said it reflected the mentality of several other men in society.

“There is a documentary which is so derogatory. It should not be shown,” Janata Dal-United leader KC Tyagi said raising the issue in the Rajya Sabha.

Nominated member Javed Akhtar said that while members were angry about the comments made by the convict, he has heard similar comments in the house.

“The anger is why the interview was taken. Is the anger on why he said these things, or the anger is why is it being told to the world? I have heard such things in this house,” Akhtar said.

BJP Lok Sabha member Kirron Kher said: “Mentality needs to be changed. They don’t consider women as human beings.”

Several women activists also raised objections to the documentary calling it unacceptable.

“This is totally unacceptable. We have to draw an ethical boundary. I do not understand why they are doing it (airing the interview),” women’s rights activist Ranjana Kumari told reporters.

Delhi Commission for Women chairperson Barkha Singh said: “This defames the nation. How could they be given permission for interview?”

The documentary “India’s daughter” by British filmmaker Leslee Udwin has kicked up a storm over the interview of one of the six men who raped the 23-year-old trainee physiotherapist on December 16, 2012 on board a moving bus in Delhi.

(Agencies)

I&B Ministry issues advisory against broadcasting of Nirbhaya documentary

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INDIAS DAUGHTER

New Delhi: The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting late on Tuesday night issued an advisory to all television channels not to broadcast the Nirbhaya documentary by British filmmaker Leslee Udwin, news agency ANI reported.

It was not immediately clear what the advisory stated, but at least one Indian news channel had said it would air the documentary on 8 March, International Womens Day.

Earlier on Tuesday, the Delhi Police registered an FIR in connection with the controversial interview of a convict in the 16 December gangrape case while also saying that it would move court to seek a restrain order its airing.

Although nobody has been named in the FIR, Delhi Police Commissioner BS Bassi maintained that the “main actor” is the person who has made these assertions and urged the media not to broadcast any assertion which transgresses the domain of law.

“This was a ghastly crime. One has to take into consideration that reporting of a crime does not transgress the domain of law and if that happens then the law will have to take its own course,” he told reporters in New Delhi.

In the interview conducted by Udwin and BBC, Mukesh Singh, the driver of the bus in which the 23-year-old paramedical student was brutally gangraped by six men on 16 December, 2012, said women who went out at night had only themselves to blame if they attracted the attention of gangs of male molesters.

“A girl is far more responsible for rape than a boy,” he had said. Singh also said that had the girl and her friend not tried to fight back, the gang would not have inflicted the savage beating, which led to her death later.

The FIR was registered under IPC sections 505 (Statements conducing to public mischief), 504 (Intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) 505(1)(b) (With intent to cause, or which is likely to cause, fear or alarm to the public), 509 (Word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) and section 66A of the IT Act (Punishment for sending offensive messages through communication service) at the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Delhi Police.

Asked against whom the FIR has been registered, Bassi said, “We have registered an FIR on the basis of media reports and we will investigate and whosoever would will be found guilty we will take action against them.”

Any assertion where the late victim is being maligned or where threat is being issued to women in general transgress the domain of law. We are going to move our court concerned for a restraint order, he added.

Udwin had claimed that she took permission from the then Director General of Tihar jail Vimla Mehra to interview Mukesh in prison for BBC.

Asked about this claims, Bassi said, “I am not aware of any permission. Even if it was given, it was given to remain in the domain of law. If any act transgresses the domain of law and particularly IPC, I am duty bound to take action and we have registered a case.”

(Agencies)

"Documentary films are the most effective & the most powerful tools of change": Mike Pandey

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An interview with Mike Pandey – President Of Indian Documentary Producers Association (IDPA)

Mike_PANDEY

by Shaheen Raaj

Mike Pandey, an Indian filmmaker specializing in making films on wild life & environmental issues, needs no special introduction. He has won over 300 awards till date, for his work to spread awareness about biodiversity & species conservation. Mike Pandey is now working on his latest documentary,’ The Return Of The Tiger’, which is also supported by Bollywood actors Amitabh Bachchan & John Abraham. And since he became the president of the Indian Documentary Producers Association (IDPA), he is doing his best to support the Indian documentary filmmakers to address all their grievances.

What is the current scenario of documentary filmmaking movement?

The documentary filmmaking movement is gaining momentum. In fact the entire scenario & genre of documentary filmmaking is now changing as documentary films are the most effective and the most powerful tools of change.

IDPA has been instrumental in bringing about a lot of encouraging changes as far as Documentary filmmaking is concerned. Comment.

That’s right. And to top it all there is also a good piece of news as after a rigorous & arduous struggle of 5 long years, IDPA has just been successful in signing an MoU with the Government of India that will enable the documentary filmmakers to showcase their films on Doordarshan’s National Channel every week on Sundays and as and when more documentaries will come in then DD National will telecast these documentaries 4 to 5 times a week.

How else will the Documentary filmmakers benefit by this MoU?

Of course the initiative that we have taken with the Government regarding this MoU will certainly benefit them as the filmmakers whose documentaries are telecast will also receive a substantial remuneration which they can reuse it to make other documentaries. And if the telecasted documentaries happens to be an award winning ones then they will also be paid a bonus amount to encourage them to make more such educative, informative, meaningful & entertaining documentaries.

What other initiative has IDPA taken to boost the Documentary filmmakers?

The Indian Documentary Producers Association has also taken an initiative to set up a welfare trust for the documentary filmmakers to bail them out financially on the grounds of their medical crisis. That apart it is also trying to address the needs & the grievances of all the documentary filmmakers.

What other steps are now being taken by IDPA to further the Documentary filmmaking movement?

Frankly speaking at this stage what we at IDPA feel and which is also the need of the hour is that we need to fill up a vast vacuum of really good educational documentary films for children. And we are also trying to get the support of the Government to have an independent documentary channel. As this is the main grievance of the documentary filmmakers that the Government, which honors them with awards galore for their par excellence documentaries, is itself refusing to showcase them on its own platform namely DD National. Besides we are also trying to work on the concept of ‘Playschool’, on the lines of BBC Channel, to showcase inspirational films for children.

Does IDPA lays the blame only on Doordarshan for this step motherly treatment meted out to them?

No, not at all. What’s the point in blaming Doordarshan alone as other channels like BBC and other Satellite Channels too are also refusing to showcase our films. Documentary Filmmakers in general and documentary films in particular are still looked down upon by one & all concerned. In fact the situation is still prevailing as the documentary filmmakers and our films are still meted out a step motherly treatment, more especially by the people who really matters.

So what steps is IDPA taking in this regard?

What can we at IDPA do in this regard. We are just feeling helpless. But of course we are trying our level best to seek Government & some private agencies support to pool in more resources. in fact we are also on the look out for Corporate Social Responsibility funds (CSR) too. CSR is an annual fund of 2% of a businessmen’s profits, which is culled out by them for social work which can really, really help the documentary filmmakers in the long run to make good documentary films as even they in their turn are doing a social service by making educative, informative, meaningful & entertaining docu films for the people at large. In fact many donors are now coming forward to be a part of this initiative.

By the way recently IDPA had also offered some suggestions to IFFI director Shankar Mohan. Right?

Yes Indeed! As the International Film Festival Of India (IFFI Goa) is getting really bigger & better now. We have 2 Baby dreams and as suggested to the Festival Director Shankar Mohan we hope that it is really, really fulfilled and that is to have a separate enclosure in the next IFFI to screen documentary films with separate TV Screens or Computer Monitors so that people are not disappointed in the on rush of the feature films. And secondly we also suggested that there should be a specially created Documentary Lounge’ where all the documentary filmmakers can have an interchange of ideas, other discussions et al. In which both Indian & Foreign documentary filmmakers can view, buy or sell each other’s films.

And lastly what is the advice that you would like to give to the tribe of Documentary filmmakers?

I would like to give a cautionary advice to all the documentary filmmakers to make good, meaningful, informative, entertaining & socially relevant docu films and most importantly their film’s content should be good and their story telling must be powerful enough to have an impactful lasting impression. Period!

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