Sukhdev: The passionate short filmmaker

Sukhdev - cheek by jowl with his new find Shashi SaxenaSukhdev, the passionate short-filmmaker who faced censorship problems with hisIndia '67, Khilonewalaand other films; Sukhdev, the committed director who made headlines with hisNine Months to Freedomon Bangladesh: Sukhdev, the subsequent darling of the establishment, happily shooting films on the railway strike and the work of the Delhi Administration towards the implementation of emergency ideals; Sukhdev, the towering but erratic talent, the eccentric, lovable human being, does not appear to have lost any of his fire.Bonded labour is his latest interest. "Of course it is a commissioned job," he concedes, "but I have asked for and received the freedom to say whatever I like. It is all very well to sit in Delhi and abolish unsavoury practices. But how does one get a feedback on whether the firman is actually having any effect? My film will show why the best of our intentions fall by the wayside. It will expose the reactionary forces at the village level - the patels, the kanungos, the upholders of law and order, who combine to nullify the progressive steps taken by the government."No, Sukhdev is not afraid of censorship. "Do you realize that people often make that an excuse to cover up the fact that they have nothing to say? When one is given a chance to make a film, one should do so in the frankest possible way. Nobody is stopping one from making an honest statement. If, in the end, it gets censored or banned, so what? And, I can tell you from experience, most times even a controversial film is cleared and released."In fact, believe me, the last chance for the short film to become meaningful isnow. If you are willing to speak out, the doors are wide open. But speak you must. There is no point in chickening out. in playing safe, and then complaining about the so-called loss of freedom of speech."The making of the film on bonded labour has taken Sukhdev from the colourful haunts of G. B. Road into the sordid background of the business of prostitution and thence to the villages where the evil first began. "Take the case of a girl called Bilsa. Her husband took a loan of Rs. 1,000 to marry her. He was unable to pay it off. Finally, when the creditors pushed him to the wall, he sold his wife into bondage for this sum. She was to work in a red-light area until the money was paid off. Meanwhile, when we made enquiries, we discovered that this girl owned land in the village. Her parents had died, she had no ownership papers and the land was appropriated by vested interests in the village. It is a fantastic racket..preferred-source-banner{ margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom:10px;}As for her husband...well, he followed her to Delhi and while she was working (for the past six years) at G. B. Road, he sat around getting drunk. Really, one should marry women like that! They slug to keep their men - those lazy, good-for-nothing bounders who have no compunctions about selling them."Sukh douses his anger with a gulp of rum. We are in his hotel, surrounded by people who have dropped in to see him. In between invitations to eat and drink, telephone calls booked to Chandigarh and New York, conversations with Niaz Haider about the dialogues of a new feature, he also talks to me about State policy. "Haryana is the most progressive region I have ever worked for. They give you a job and then permit you to do anything."The "anything" he is talking about is something of a secret. But it has already done the rounds of film circles. A twenty-point film for Haryana in which mime expert Irshad Panjatan is acting. Also a new girl called Shashi Saxena who turned into a Haryanvi overnight. The cameraman is Ishan Arya of Garam Hawa fame.I get little out of him about the film so we discuss Ishan. Sukhdev is lavish in his praise. "I love his style of photography and personally feel he is going to be one of the finest cameramen in the world. He has a feel for texture, for the concept behind whatever he is shooting."Sukh is also working on a feature film. The script is more or less ready and shooting starts next month. It will be called Chandalika and, as the name suggests, deal with the Harijan problem. What aspect of it, I ask? "Well ... oh, never mind, you'll see the film. Sab kuch fit hai! I can't really explain it right now."As if the Sixth International Film Festival were not enough, the Directorate of Film Festivals is planning to follow it up with a festival for shorts and television films in March next year! It will be held in Bombay, presumably with the help of the Films Division and the TV Centre. The event will be non-competitive and, as the first of its kind in the country, promises to open up new horizons for the short film industry.Published By: AtMigration Published On: Apr 14, 2015--- ENDS ---

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Sukhdev: The passionate short filmmaker

Sukhdev, the passionate short-filmmaker who faced censorship problems with his India '67, Khilonewala and other films; Sukhdev, the committed director who made headlines with his Nine Months to Freedom on Bangladesh.

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