INCOMPLETE 'ASIAN FILM FESTIVAL'!

'9th Asian Film Festival' over in Pune. But did not see comprehensive focus on quality cinema of Asian countries..in which not noticed any film from major country China! Apart from this big lacking was homage to legendary Sri Lankan Filmmaker Lester James Peries who passed away in 2018!

Renowned Assamese filmmaker Jahnu Barua speaking.!

This festival inaugurated by renowned Assamese filmmaker Jahnu Barua. He emphasised 
the need to respect our Indian cinema and to maintain the identity of Asian cinema! 
He also spoke on the beginning of Assamese cinema & artist suffered in it!..After the function it was nice meeting Barua family!

I will not write about this time's (Zenith?).. honoured (egoistic) average actor-filmmaker and he supported so called (arrogant) actor who got..this award few years back in this same festival!

Picture of Turkey's road movie 'Zer'!

This Festival screened about 36 films and more than half were from our India only!

In this festival.. 
films were mostly through journey road to overseas! In inaugural Turkey's 'Zer' young man travels in search of origin of a song he heard from his grandmother. Through this Kurdish director Kazim Oz focused on the cultural happenings in his region!

Poster of Bangladeshi film 'Komola Rocket'!

After that road movie..Bangladeshi film 'Komola Rocket' travels by ship. In this journey director Noor Imran Mithu focused on the life and tendencies of upper & lower class people through passengers in it!

Then our Indian Marathi film 'Aaron' travels overseas by plane..In search of disappear mother..a boy in it travels to Paris with his uncle. It's director Omkar Shetty sensibly handled this journey which reveals various dimensions of human nature and also reflects universal emotions!..In this with Marathi artists Shashank Ketkar, Neha Joshi & Atharva Padhye..Bengali actress Swastika Mukherjee & French artists played their roles!

Poster of Marathi movie 'Aaron'..with French & Indian artists!

Then (national award nominated) Jayaraj's film in Malayalam.. 'Bhayanakam' was notable..In this postman regularly travels by boat to deliver money orders to army men's relatives in village..and suddenly became 'not wanted' because he started bringing telegrams of deaths in war!

Intense scene of Malayalam film 'Bhayanakam'!

There were women centric films too.. 
In this Japanese movie 'The Bad Poetry' showed the struggle of working girl for survival. Indian director Anshul Chauhan made this film effectively in which award winner Japanese actress Iijima Shuna did the leading role powerfully!

Iijima Shuna in Japanese film 'The Bad Poetry'!

Then there was Bengali film 'Rong Beronger Korhi' in which beautiful actress Rituparna Sengupta portrayed two contrast characters from urban & rural and showed the suffering of women in different perspectives! 

After that Hindi episodic kind movie 'Teen Muhurat' presented three young women in three auspicious hours! And Hindi film 'Bhor' showed the struggle of lower class girl to live her life in dignified way; but the issue (even genuine) handled in it made this a propaganda film!

Beautiful Rituparna Sengupta in Bengali film 'Rong Beronger Korhi'!

There were other films.. with different dramas like Kazakhstan's historical 'Talan' and Srilankan psychological 'Underpant Thief'! 

This festival concluded with the premier of Marathi upcoming movie 'Bandishala' directed by Milind Lele! This film did not appeal because of it's flaws in technical, character development & directorial aspect! But Mukta Barve portrayed her character of prison officer powerfully!

Now the globe became one family (like our "Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam") due to technological developments & Internet world! And despite some cultural differences global citizens shares their human emotions which 
are universal! So films lovers are not that keen like earlier..to watch only European or only Asian cinema in one festival. Now they like to watch entire world cinema in one festival!..Organisers should seriously think about this!!

- Manoj Kulkarni
  ['Chitrasrushti']