Mrinal Sen returns to IFFI with apolitical film

<div class="section1"><div class="Normal">NEW DELHI: Mrinal Sen returns to the International Film Festival after a long gap. And this time, the filmmaker who is known for many firsts in his film oeuvre, comes with another first of its kinds. <br />He completely redefines the parameters of political cinema by focussing on contemporary, chaotic, communal India by building a parallel world, seemingly untouched by the present scourge.<br />‘‘There is no war, no bigotry, no communal clashes in my film (<span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Aamar Bhuvan</span> — My House), yet I am making a political film,’’ says Sen.This, he says, is the response of a filmmaker who is ‘‘too confused’’ by the events the world over and realises that the only way to comment on them is to highlight the life of the small, sensible people who live out their lives with tenderness, sensitivity, tolerance and dignity, despite the day-to-day impediments.<br />The film was inspired by a news programme where, at the height of the Kargil war, a vegetable vendor in Islamabad expressed his views on the event. <br />When asked to comment on the war, he merely looked up and said it spelt <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Nuksaan</span> (loss) and then went about his business of hawking potatoes. <br />‘‘Contemporary reality breaks and tears apart common people, yet they survive, they love. I wanted to highlight the quiet dignity of these people who don’t want to talk about war and lose the magic in their daily life which exists despite the hardships,’’ says Sen.<br />Of course, Sen buffs wanted to know why an ‘‘overtly political filmmaker’’ had to make such a ‘‘covertly political’’ film when political comment was the order of the day. The filmmaker however sees it as a logical progression in his career. <br />‘‘I used to make strong political statements in my films when there was a lot of anger and hot air around. Today, I would like to stand in front of the mirror and introspect rather than point accusing fingers at others,’’ explains Sen.<br />Meanwhile, the cinema of the world section has been drawing a luke warm response with its mediocre quality. <br />But the winner seems to be the augmented film market section, another bold step by I&B minister Sushma Swaraj to transform the film business into a full-fledged industry. </div> </div>