Reality's Face on 35mm

The clarity with which National Award winning filmmaker (Nabar in 2013) Rajeev Kumar puts his thoughts across in conversations and in cinema, has earned him a loyal following not just in Punjab but also across the region. "My cinema has always been political, taking up issues like gender discrimination, gender empowerment, social stigmas, unequal distribution of wealth and Dalit empowerment," he says.Kumar's latest movie Jionde Aan, which highlights the plight of farm workers, has been an eye-opener for him. "While researching for the film, I came across a study carried out by the Punjab Agriculture University (PAU) in Ludhiana which clearly states that in the last 15 years, the aggregate number of suicides by farm workers is more than the number of suicides by the farmers. However, media has highlighted only the farmers' issue."For someone who resigned as assistant vice-president from a major television channel in 2010 to plunge into the world of Punjabi cinema with his first film Aatu Khoji (2011), there have been several speed breakers despite winning the coveted National Award. "Funding is always a problem. If I want to make a comedy, 20 producers will line up outside my door. But it would not take more than a minute for them to vanish when I mention that I want to work on a serious subject," he smiles.All set to finish the post-production of his first Haryanvi film Dushman which is based on honour killings, the filmmaker says that his goal has always been to break stereotype. "The film will make the audience look at the perception of patriarchy and if it really the old who are stuck in a time wrap," says Kumar. Kumar, credited with pushing a novel distribution system which involves going to different villages to screen his movies, insists that the response has always been positive, both in terms of attendance and feedback..preferred-source-banner{ margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom:10px;}"My movie Cham (2017), has already been screened in more than 350 villages in Punjab, besides being shown in France, Canada, Australia and Auckland. In Punjab, the audience was 50 per cent Dalit women, who for the first time in their lives experienced collective viewing."He says that contrary to popular perception, serious and socially relevant films do find a sizeable audience, Kumar adds that while the audience may not be the multiplex going but that does not mean that they do not exist. "It is unfortunate that in Punjab, cinema is made only for 20 per cent of people who comprise the elite. The marginalised have been excluded-neither are they part of the narrative nor the audience," laments the director, who is also pursuing his Doctorate degree in cinema (comparative study of Punjabi and Latin American Diaspora Cinema) from Delhi University.Stating that the thematic content in contemporary Punjabi films seems to be falling with every passing day, he adds that they are far from depicting the true state of Punjab. Kumar feels that most of the cinema in the state is an exercise in escapism."There seems to be a complete lack of intellect in the films. One can easily decipher that the directors have zero exposure to international cinema," he says. For him, cinema will never be commercial activity or a means to escape what is going on around him. "I would not be able to forgive myself if I make such films. No matter how much I have to struggle, films for me will always remain an art form for enlightenment."Line of leisureLast film I watched The NunFavourite director of all times Pedro AlmodovarBook you are reading? A History Of Desire in India by Madhavi MenonA subject you would like to explore in a film Parallel stories of women from different walks of lifePublished By: Parmita UniyalPublished On: Mar 22, 2019--- ENDS ---

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Reality's Face on 35mm

Aarmed with his latest film Jionde Aan, National Award-winning filmmaker Rajeev Kumar wants to expose every village in the region to political cinema through community viewing.

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