A short film to portray singer Anasua’s triumph

KOLKATA: Four years of fight with paralysis and the courage to return to stage make for an inspiring film. That’s what Films Division officials in Kolkata felt after reading Sunday’s TOI that reported on how singer Anasua Choudhury was making a comeback to her musical career after being bed-ridden for four years.
On Monday morning, the ministry of information and broadcasting’s Films Division contacted TOI for Anasua’s contact details.The next evening, they met the singer at her Dhakuria home. Shooting for the short film will begin from Wednesday. “This is the first time that a short film by the Films Division is being based on a newspaper article. Director R Ravi told me he was motivated by Anasua’s story. Having read about Anasua’s triumph, I gave the nod to the project. Instead of a long documentary, I feel a short film will do justice to Anasua’s story of courage,” said deputy director general in-charge of films division in Kolkata Joshy Joseph.
In June, Kolkata’s Films Division made three such short films, ‘Gourd to Chord’, ‘A River Called Barak’ and ‘Kabul to Kolkata’.
According to the plan, a zero-budget film of four minutes will be shot on Anasua. Ravi, a government employee who had earlier directed three short films for the Chennai Films Division said, “We want to narrate the film from her son’s point of view. I will shoot on Wednesday and then on the day of her comeback concert.”
Anusua is overwhelmed. “I am touched with the government’s proposal. I have been flooded by messages from well-wishers who are happy that I am trying hard to return to music. I couldn’t have asked for more,” she said.
About his choice for a short film to narrate Anasua’s tale, Joseph said, “We fund long documentaries for which, directors have to apply online. For a 25-minute film, maximum Rs 7 lakh is given and for a 52-minute film, the budget can go up to Rs 13 lakh. In the last National Awards, five of our documentaries won awards. The film on Anasua will be of much shorter duration. It’s not that her story can’t be narrated in a documentary style. But I think the shorter version will give more access to viewers at one go.” Joseph has directed a long documentary, “A Poet, A City & A Footballer”, that won a Special Jury award at the 62nd National Awards.
Free YouTube streaming apart, the short duration will also help Anasua’s film reach theatres more easily as it can be screened at all theatres before a feature film: it is mandatory to show at least one public-interest film before the main movie starts. “This is the outcome of the Supreme Court verdict after Films Division was sued by Eastern India Motion Pictures Association (EIMPA),” Joseph said. Screening of such public interest films also translates into monetary benefits for the suppliers/producers. Making such films is a profitable venture since post-screening, 1% of the collection of the main movie has to be given to the supplier of the film.