The third day of the Vishwarang International Film Festival, which is a part of the week-long Tagore International Literature &Arts Festival ‘Vishwarang2020’, brought into the limelight some spectacular short films. The day also consisted of several talks sessions with renowned artists.
A major highlight of the third day of the film extravaganza was a Masterclass with Pubali Chaudhuri, who is the screenwriter of award-winning films Rock On and Kai Po Che, and with Hindi film actress Atika Chohan, who is also the screenwriter of Chhapaak and Margarita with a Straw.
The Masterclass was conducted on the engaging subject of ‘New Age Writing in Hindi Cinema’. During her address, Pubali Chaudhuri said, “I feel technically we have changed a lot story-wise from earlier decades. When it comes to specifically writing, I think we have a better grip on craft and technique and a sharper focus on the structure. Thematically, I can’t say that our history lacks interesting and complex stories- whether in terms of characters or themes. However, the overall look and feel and the tone of the story have evolved over time.”
Day 3 of Vishwarang International Film Festival 2020 commenced with a literary film screening by Director Obaid Siddiqi on Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan awardee Indian author Ruskin Bond. This was followed by a science film screening on the great Indian Mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan, directed by National Film Award-winning Director Nandan Kudhyadi.
The third day of the Film Festival also witnessed a ‘Talk Session’ where Poet Badr Vasti conversed with Rashid Anjum, who is the author of ‘Jahane Film’, a book written in Urdu on world cinema. In his session, Rashid Anjum said, “The current work that is happening in cinema, theatre or cultural activities involves the contribution of not just the characters but also the teamwork of all the other people who are working along the way.”
This was followed by the screening of Indian-Maithili language feature film ‘Gamak Ghar’, directed, edited and produced by Dr Achal Mishra.
In the evening, the screening of the winning entries of the Festival’s Short Film Competition was held along with the interview of the winning films’ directors. The audience was left spellbound by a French short film called ‘Vincent Before Noon’, directed by Guillaume Maingued.
This was followed by an Indian documentary ‘Gond Art’, directed by Pranjal Joshi, which introduced the audience to the Gond artists who have created exemplary art influenced by their experiences, anecdotes and more. Another engrossing Indian Silent Documentary ‘Pirana’, which depicts the journey of waste, directed by Nainisha Dedhia, was showcased.
The third day of this unique film festival ended with an interaction on the topic “Literature and Cinema” with renowned artists Jayant Deshmukh, Aabid Surti, and Jyoti Kapoor.
Organized by Bhopal-based Rabindranath Tagore University (RNTU), in collaboration with the Tagore International Centre for Arts and Culture Bhopal and the AISECT Group of Universities, Vishwarang 2020 aims to promote Indian literature, art and culture on a global scale via discussions, discourse and more.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the event is being held online this year with participation from over 1,000 authors and artists from more than 50 countries in 72 interactive sessions that are scheduled to be held from 20 to 29 November.