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| Veteran filmmaker Pratap Subba with the ‘Punarjanma’ crew |
The project, one of the team members joked, “has been in the making since some time as one of the main and senior characters used to be a hero”. Shooting is slated to commence from the first week of July. The feature film is being produced under the Red Panda Movies banner and is directed by debutant Adithya Rayaa.
Hinting at the storyline, Rayaa said, “I know people will want to link ‘Punarjanma’ with rebirth and revenge. But the film is an entertaining love story with no twist and turns. I basically wanted to capture on celluloid the present-day youths of the hills and the things they run after including love.”
The mahurat shot was taken this morning at Mahakal Mandir near Chowrastha where the cast and crew also offered prayers along with veteran filmmaker Pratap Subba.
“We had the mahurat at the temple premises. It was great to have ‘Subba sir’ clap the first shot as he has been our inspiration,” said Rayaa, who has worked in three of Subba’s films – ‘Timro Hamro Jindagani’, ‘Mero Uthne Palo’ and ‘Yaad Timro Aayo’ – as chief assistant.
The production house that comprises members engaged in the fields of music, drama and theatre admitted it would not be a cakewalk completing the movie even as it declined to divulge about the film’s budget given the paucity of sponsors and producers.
“We have pooled in money from various quarters to take forward the shooting. It is difficult to make a film without a producer and sponsors, but we were eager to make a beginning under any circumstance. As for the budget of the film… let’s not get into that at the moment,” said Rayaa.
He added, “But we will definitely pay the actors. Our main worry is transportation and outdoor filming expenses as we will be shooting in various locales of the hills.”
Fortunately, the team has its own filming equipment and the artistes and technicians are all locals, which will help in cutting down major expenses.
“For example, we do not have to hire cameras and lights as they can be expensive. Our technicians and crew members are co-partners as well,” said the debutant director.
Darjeeling boy Kapish Sharma, the film’s hero, is at present struggling in Mumbai to make it big. Meanwhile, Divya Chhetri, the heroine, is an award winner. She has won the best actress award in the Ladakh International Film Festival 2013 for her role in ‘Oasis’. The film’s cinematographer Binay Shanker has also won the best cinematographer award in the North Bengal Film Festival 2008.
‘Punarjanma’, conceptualised and written by Rayaa, who will also score its music, is expected to hit the floors this Diwali. The production house has also roped in Lhamu Sherpa, the director of Triveni Sangitalya, as the film’s choreographer. Sherpa’s institute tutored Anushka Chhetri, the runner-up in the Dance in Dance reality dancing show.
Source: EOI
