Documentary on Veena Gokhale to get crowdfunding

Pune: A group of film enthusiasts from the city have decided to pool in equipment and a portion of the funds to film a documentary on the life of travel and music enthusiast Veena Gokhale, who has run an exhibition platform for NGOs.

The veteran filmmaker Pradeep Dixit said Veena: The Chords of Life, is being produced with the help of famous personalities, some of whom have donated film equipment. For the rest, the makers are depending on crowdfunding.

“This is the second film I am trying to make using crowdfunding. I chose Veena Gokhale as the subject, because of the work she has done under her the ‘Dene Samajache’ initiative. Due to her initiative, NGOs get a chance to display their work to potential donors every year,” he said.

Under the initiative, Gokhale holds an exhibition every year in October in the city, solely devoted to the work of NGOs across Maharashtra and beyond that are actively working in initiatives ranging from water conservation to child protection. That exhibition has been held every year for the last 14 years, and according to Dixit, they have generated nearly Rs4 crore as donations for 140-odd NGOs, cumulatively. Gokhale has often poured in her own money for the exhibition, especially at time when the sponsors pulled out at the last minute.