See the article on Regional Films of UK.
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Regional films need a booster dose
Neena Sharma
Tribune News Service
Dehradun, January 18
In the absence of a strong foundation, the nascent film industry of Uttarakhand has lost its moorings, with film-makers unable to impart a local flavour to their plots. More often than not, Bollywood impressions are quite distinct.
And with no help from any quarter, the industry is in a state of perpetual decline. More so, the advent of DVD and CD format has made film-making so simple that one person can do several things at the same time and in the process completely overturn the concept of film-making, which has more to do with creativity, passion and a good script.
Initially, the first film produced by Pareshwar Gaud titled ‘Jagwal’, which was based on exploitation of women and released in 1982, managed to register its presence but later sank at the box office.
Another film released during the same period - ‘Kabhi Sukh Kabhi Dukh’ - that was directed by BK Sharma tried to experiment with Manmohan Desai formula. However, it too failed to perform at the box-office. Although the film did not do well commercially, when it was released in Dehradun and other towns it managed to draw the public who were keen to hear their own language and people taking up larger than life roles.
But ‘Ghar Jamai’, released later, proved to be a hit and the hero of the film Balraj Negi became a household name. “He became every girls’ dream man; the film catapulted him to instant fame. However, his later efforts did not pay dividends. The magic ended there,” said Mukesh Dhasmana, a popular television and film artiste at the national and regional level.
In the initial burst of enthusiasm, film-makers from here attempted a tad too much rather than building a strong foundation first. “In the midst of all this several films that followed after ‘Jagwal’ were far removed from the local scene. They were unable to strike a chord with the masses who did not want a Bombay masala film,” said Roshan Dhasmana, a well-known theatre and film artiste.
To make matters worse, there was no help from the government, even after creation of Uttarakhand. “The government is yet to draft a film or a culture policy that gives impetus to film-making. By offering subsidy, small-time but talented directors can be
encouraged. There are also not many trained people taking to regional films, especially directors and producers hailing from film institutes,” said Roshan Dhasmana.
The advent of digital technology also had an adverse impact, although the process of film-making has become cheap and there is proliferation of directors, producers and writers. “But such films lack passion. The DVD version is a one-man show although I do not blame them; after all people in the creative field had to give vent to their feelings. So, in the middle of 2003-2004 we had mushrooming of this particular industry,” he added.
Strongly in favour of government support so far as building of infrastructure is concerned, Mukesh said: “The government did not take steps to stop the closure of cinema halls in several parts of the state; today even if film- makers try to release their films there not many halls left. Several of them have been converted into shopping complexes.”
He opined that the state government should adopt the Maharashtra government’s formula of supporting regional filmmakers: “The Maharashtra government has made mandatory upon cinema hall owners to show Marathi films for a period of two months in a year, which helped in their revival,” he said.
The state if also not short of talent - Himani Shivpuri, Mohan Bhandari, Sudhir Pandey, Lalit Tiwari, Mukesh Dhasmana and Nirmal Pandey are a few actors who have carved a niche for themselves in the Mumbai film industry. At the same time their strong bond with Uttarakhand ensures
that they keep participating in theatre and films here. Sadly, these are few and far between.
Mukesh Dhasmana was cast in the first Kumaoni film ‘Megha aa’ in 1987. He also directed a Garhwali film titled ‘Meri Pyari Boi’ in 2004 that received rave reviews from critics, but failed to register much success at the box office.
All is not dark though. Much to the delight of local artists, the expatriate population from Uttarakhand settled abroad or in Mumbai continues to be attracted to film-making. “It is the strong emotional connection with their roots that draws them to the state and many of them continue to make films. Even the first Garhwali film was made possible due to a businessman’s endeavours. The director of my latest film, Santosh Shah, is settled in Mumbai but his roots are in Kumaoni region of Uttarakhand,” said Mukesh
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