By Enkayaar, Glamsham Editorial
PVR's Director's Rare has again underlined the fact that this vertical is indeed working for the cause of promotion of good cinema by facilitating the release of ANHEY GHORHEY DA DAAN which is indeed a reality check on the state of affairs in Punjab, in particular the social nuances of the state, the caste based stratification, and is also a pointer to the fact that beneath the veneer of happiness and spirit of joie de vivre that Punjab supposedly has, as portrayed through various popular cinematic idioms on a continuous basis, there is an undercurrent of tension simmering in the background.ANHEY GHORHEY DA DAAN is based on the story of popular Punjabi writer Gurdayal Singh's novel by the same name has made waves at all the major international film festivals, be it at Venice, Abu Dhabi, Hong Kong or even Germany and is going to be screened shortly at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Shot on location around Bhatinda in Punjab, the film had swept the awards at the National Awards this year by winning the best director award for Gurvinder Singh as also the best cinematography award for Satya Rai Nagpaul, who had not shot a film before AGDD and the best feature film in Punjabi as well.
Sadly enough, AGDD has not been released in Punjab though it has been made in Punjabi, and may be after the initiative that has been taken Director's Rare of PVR to release the film in the metropolitan centres, somebody from Punjab (and the film industry is dominated by Punjabis so it should not be a problem) would release the film in Punjab for the general public to see this monumental film. It indeed is a monumental film, as it is the first Punjabi film which has traveled so widely around the globe and has been feted wherever it has been shown.
AGDD is basically a story of Punjab where the landowners are selling their land owing to the high price that it commands and those who work as labourers in the fields do not know what future is in store for them after the land on which they work has been sold off. It is the existentialist dilemma for the working class whose plight has not been highlighted before AGDD in such a succinct manner.
One also needs to complement NFDC for having produced AGDD which made possible for the film to be showcased around the world and earn accolades for itself as also for the director Gurvinder Singh. Gurvinder Singh through AGDD has paid his tribute to Mani Kaul who also has been credited in the film as the creative producer. It is a must see for all the film aficionados and even without translation the film has been crafted so evocatively that one can understand the film by visuals only.
