16 January 2022
After the first Covid-19 lockdown was announced in March 2020, the National Commission for Women received 1,477 complaints of domestic violence in 68 days, a 1.5 time increase from the 607 complaints received between March and May the year before.
“This data does not include the countless cases that go unreported. In India, one out of every three women is hit by a man she loves and trusts in the safety of her own home, or she is mentally or emotionally abused,” says Pune-based filmmaker Deepti Ghatge who began to “think about the subject and conceive a story that speaks about it”.
She has made a five-minute film on domestic abuse titled ‘Swamaan Se’ (With Dignity), which won the special jury mention at the 14th Jaipur International Film Festival on January 7, 2022.
It was officially selected in the Golden Short Film Festival, Rome, California Women’s Short Film Festival, and Tokyo International Short Film Festival.
The film revolves around a woman who is hesitant to bless her sister at her wedding as she wonders if her sister would have to endure a similar fate as her. “The story is not based on any person or incident and is entirely fictional,” says Ghatge, adding that one of her earliest encounters with domestic violence happened more than 20 years ago.
“Early one morning, I saw a woman from a well-to-do family sitting by the side of the road in skimpy night clothes. She looked shell-shocked and it was a horrifying sight for me. By the time I came down from my home to ask if she needed assistance, she had disappeared. It left a deep impact on me and I wondered what had happened to her that she had to leave her house in that state so early in the morning or whether she was there all night,” she adds.
The film, which was shot at Turf Club “where we could use a small part of the open space for the wedding scene” shows how it is a challenge for women in India to report domestic abuse or seek help. “Her whole family and life are at stake. If she speaks out, it can come right back at her. A woman generally thinks about her children first and wonders how they would live, especially if she is not financially independent,” says Ghatge.
Financing the movie was a challenge for the filmmaker not only due to the Covid situation but also because social awareness movies are commercially not viable. Finally, FICCI FLO (women’s wing of Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry) supported her in making the film.
The greatest enemy of women subjected to violence is the silence that surrounds them. Their silence is either because they are not aware that they are at the receiving end of violence or because they are afraid of the social stigmas attached. Pune filmmaker Deepti Ghatge’s film ‘Swamaan Se’ tackles the sensitive and complex issue of domestic violence, the numbers for which doubled during the COVID pandemic. The film has been receiving rave reviews in festivals, globally.
Explaining how she stumbled upon the topic, Ghatge said she read an article about domestic violence statistics that had doubled since the onset of the pandemic. “As a woman, it made me uncomfortable and various stories started evolving in my head.” she said. Talking about the problem of gathering funds for a niche film, she agreed it was difficult. “Initially, it was a challenge, but after approaching several people, I finally got approval for one of the stories from FICCI FLO. I wrote the script with the approved budget and we started working on it,” Ghatge said.
Asked about the aim of the film, she said, “Not only is it meant to create awareness, but inspire and motivate women to raise their voices. Even if one woman gathers courage to speak up after watching the film, it would have done its job,” Ghatge added.
The film revolves around Aasha, the protagonist, who is a victim of domestic abuse. The violence she is subjected to is not shown on screen, but the bruises on her body reflect her plight. After surviving abuse for six years, Aasha finally speaks up and does so in order to save her six-year-old daughter. The film amplifies the need for women to report cases of violence without delay, right after their first attack.
“In our society, often, women get blamed when such cases are reported. Women do not want to be gossiped about and end up not reporting anything. Additionally, it takes years for women to even recognise emotional and mental violence, because it is so indoctrinated into the way society functions.” she added.
Women need to speak up not only for themselves and for their self-respect and dignity, but to make their homes, neighbourhoods and communities safer for their children and the other women — who might be in similar situations, Ghatge further told Mirror, “The short-film which started touring festivals earlier this year was the official selection at the Golden Short Film Festival, a final ist at the Tokyo International Short Film Festival 2021 and at the Vancouver Independent Film Festival. It was also an official selection at the California Women’s Film Festival 2021.”
https://punemirror.com/pune/civic/silence-should-never-be-an-option-when-facing-abuse/cid6043924.htm
‘Let’s Talk About It', a highly original eight-minute comic short revolving around budgetary woes besotting the city of London and directed by Pune-based director Deepti Ghatge, is to be screened at the 68th Cannes film festival that commences today, featuring its traditional slate of auteur-driven cinema.
Before her heady run to Cannes, the Kolhapur-raised and Pune-educated Ms. Ghatge had earlier worked as an assistant director on the Kannada film Dweepa directed by maestro Girish Kasaravalli and a national award-winning documentary It’s Prabhat – on the legendary film company (defunct in 1953) founded in Kolhapur, Maharashtra by eminent filmmaker V. Shantaram among others.
Her debut project, ‘Let’s talk about it’ made on a shoestring budget of £3000, came to fruition while Ms. Ghatge was pursuing her diploma in film-making from London Film Academy (LFA). With barrow loads of droll humor, the film narrates the tale of a harried London Mayor named Thomas who chairs the meeting that decides budgetary figures for the quarter.
Pune, March 1 , 2021: In order to acknowledge the supportive and constructive work put up by frontline women warriors in their fight against COVID19, the FICCI Ladies Organization (FLO), Pune Chapter in association with Magarpatta City honoured 12 such women on Saturday in presence of Madhuri Misal, BJP MLA from Pune and Ayush Prasad, CEO, Zilla Parishad and members of FICCI FLO, Pune Chapter including Aneeta Sanas, Chairperson, Usha Poonawala, Senior Vice Chairperson, and Sonya Rao, Committee Member among others.
The frontline women warriors who were felicitated included Dr. Sonali Pathrikar and Jyoti Phalke from Zilla Parishad, officials from Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) including Dr. Vanashree Labshetwar, Deputy Commisioner and Dr. Anjali Sabne, Medical Officer and Kishori Shinde, Officer from Shivajinagar constituency, Dr. Geeta Bora from Spherele NGO, Deepti Ghatge, Film Director, Sarika Shinde, Deputy Sarpanch from Pimpri Saandas village, Dr. Reema Tandale and Tripti Nanda, Chief Nursing Officer from Noble Hospital and Shilpa Chawan, Senior Inspector of Sahakarnagar Police station and Minakshi Mahadik, Police official from CP office.
Speaking on the event, Madhuri Misal said, “In India about 1 crore people were infected but we were able to restrain the spread of virus unlike the USA, mainly because of the work put up by our COVID essential workers and for our unity. All doctors, nurses and police personnel united in time of the crisis and worked for 24 hours only for the welfare of the nation. I am glad to be a part of this award.”
Ayush Prasad stated, “I remember visiting Sassoon Hospital in Pune once when the pandemic was at its peak and found that all the helpers in hospital including doctors, nurses and other staff were women who worked round-the-clock without taking leaves. Such is the strength of our women.”
He also said that the Zilla Parishad also found lots of cases of ‘Shadow Pandemic’, which is domestic violence during the lockdown. “Lots of women had to bear the brunt of violence at home so we formed 3 departments across 7000 wards to conduct a survey and act as mediators to pacify the household members. We found 927 cases of violence against women and 38 divorce cases,” he said.
Aneeta Sanas said, “Women ignoring their own health and safety, worked tirelessly to safeguard us all against COVID and displayed their humility, kindness, diligence and strength. In regards to that we had to felicitate these warriors through the awards. There is no tool as important as empowerment of women.”
https://www.punekarnews.in/ficci-flo-pune-chapter-honours-covid19-frontline-women-warriors/
https://nrinews24x7.com/ficci-flo-pune-chapter-honors-covid19-frontline-women-warriors/
May 3, 2015 - It seems like the beginning of a dream run for Pune-based filmmaker Deepti Ghatge, whose first short film is headed for Cannes.
Cannes was the last thing on Deepti Ghatge”s mind when she approached alma mater London Film Academy’s (LFA) jury with a short film script last year. A small-town girl from Kolhapur, she had always thrived in the quiet pace of life there before her nascent reel dreams caught up with her during her graduation days as a student of psychology in Fergusson College. After a Masters in Communication Studies from Pune University, she stuck around in India for quite a while, assisting features and documentaries, getting married, having a kid and dabbling with corporate films before flying to Queen’s Country in 2013 for the LFA course.
Now, the 36-year-old is packing her bags for the French Riviera, where her short film, Let’s Talk About It, is going to be screened for the Cannes Court Metrage, Festival de Cannes, this May. Produced by the academy, it is a British socio-political satire shot entirely in London. All of seven minutes, it is a commentary on social agencies and bureaucratic bumbling in the face of an economic meltdown.
The film boasts a robust cast of seasoned British theatre and television actors — Ian Macnaughton, Charlotte Comer, Mark Hyde, Stephen Evans and Tom Sawyer. There are five characters populating the movie — the mayor, the mounted policewoman, the traffic warden, the garbage collector and the Queen”s guard — who assemble over tea and biscuits (Ghatge uses the obvious metaphor for empty rhetoric here), each to pitch for their individual right to a budgetary allocation. What ensues is a comic fisticuff of words that expose their myopia as each tries to run down the other. The film was selected for the London Asian Film Festival 2015 in March as well.
Ghatge, who keeps shuttling between Pune and London for production and post-production work of her shorts, the daily rhythm of life holds the seeds of creativity and art. And she uses these familiar tropes to fashion unique reel dramas. But, why use satire as a cinematic form for Let’s Talk…? “I didn’t consciously decide on using satire. While in film school, I began having satire as a part of the form and content of my writing and films. Tomorrow, I might enjoy exploring a thriller or a completely different genre and I look forward to that,” she says.
She started off her filming days back in 2002, assisting director Girish Kasaravalli in Kannada feature film Dweepa and a Marathi documentary called It’s Prabhat in 2003. Both were serious in form and content — Dweepa dealing with the displacement of villagers from a dam site, whereas It”s Prabhat was a chronicle of the iconic Prabhat Talkies, the erstwhile seat of Marathi movies. She calls herself a writer/director and draws inspiration from her own experiences. “Every film I have made has been fleshed out of some person-al truth. I write from life, from experiences, from longings, inspirations and imaginations,” Ghatge shares.
“While in Pune University, I was influenced by renowned film expert Samar Nakhate, who showed me a world of films and a way of thinking so far unknown to me,” she adds. Besides, marriage and motherhood also gave her life a new direction. Ghatge took a long break from work as she didn’t want her son, now six years old, to be brought up by nannies. She was quite a hands-on mother, even with her intermittent stints at corporate filmmaking. She recalls, “I used to even nurse my kid in between shots. Juggling motherhood and movie-making took a huge toll on my health. So, I quit everything for a while. But then I felt that I was withering away with the lack of creativity.”
The London Film Academy course brought back her creative spurts that matured with the daily rigour and grind. While in London, she was also a jury member at the prestigious Cambridge International Student Film Festival So, how does she zero in on a plot that merits the space of a short film? “I don’t decide what I am going to write. I write every single day and what emerges sometimes takes me by surprise too. And for that reason, writing is always rewriting and more rewriting,” she replies.
Ghatge”s list of cine-favourites is endless. “I still remember the explosion of red and the experience of watching Bergman”s Cries And Whispers. Having the National Film Archives of India in the same city was a huge advantage. It introduced me to Satyajit Ray, Ritwik Ghatak, Girish Kasaravalli, Kieslowski, Lars Von Trier and so many others,” she quips. But it was director Dan Turner who truly tutored her for Let’s Talk….
What’s her take on short films in India? “We still haven’t grasped the structure and strength of the form itself here. The beauty of a short is that it is short. Far too often, I find that our short films deal with subjects that are way too vast,” Ghatge explains.
She’s coming up with another short, this time in Marathi, called Aajchi Baat (In Today’s News), with Marathi artistes Vibhawari Dixit- Deshpande and Devendra Gaikwad among others. The editing and sound design for the film — a 10-minute short about a political convoy that passes by a traffic junction and the preoccupations around it — is being done in London.
With one foot in Pune and the other in London, and a steady stream of festivals calling, it looks like Ghatge is going to have a long run with her ”short” dreams.
According to Sanas, there had been an increase in domestic violence cases, especially in upper middle-class families, in the lockdown period.
In order to create awareness on domestic violence and physical abuse against women, the FICCI Ladies Organisation (FLO), Pune chapter, recently released a short film, ‘Swamaan Se’, meaning ‘with dignity’ and ‘with self-respect’, on its annual day function held online. The film has been written and directed by Deepti Ghatge and produced by Dr Aneeta Sanas, chairperson of FLO Pune and Neeru Goyal, member.
According to Sanas, there had been an increase in domestic violence cases, especially in upper middle-class families, in the lockdown period.
“We wanted to bring up this issue in the public eye as it is our responsibility to help women who have been seeking justice. We want to urge them to not succumb to societal pressures and walk out of abusive relationships,” said Sanas.
The setting in the film is a wedding, which serves as a new start, not just for a woman but potentially three of them. Aasha, the protagonist, hides her wounds, her pain, like any other woman, but eventually, she speaks up. The film does not give a place or voice to the one who commits this abuse, and even though this film speaks of violence, it is not a part of the film and so, it is only suggestive through the marks on the protagonist’s body.
“Not rape, but domestic violence is the number one crime committed against women in India. The National Commission for Women (NCW) reported that in April 2020, there was an almost 100 per cent increase in domestic violence cases and this data does not include the countless cases that go unreported. Our biggest objective in making this film is to create awareness regarding this issue and to have a dialogue going,” said Ghatge.
Pune-based filmmaker Deepti Ghatge’s short film Let’s Talk About It is creating a lot of buzz at the international film circuit. After being screened at the 68th Cannes film festival last year, it was selected for the recent Prague Short Film Festival. The British socio-political comedy is about the strains of a struggling economy. Deepti has worked as an assistant director on a Kannada feature film Dweepa, directed by Girish Kasaravalli, among other assignments. In the past, she had directed another short titled Interlude and currently her short film Aajchi Baat or ‘In Today’s News’ is in post production stage. Excerpts:
How did Let’s Talk… happen?
LTAI was written by a girl from Brazil and the dialogues were co-written by two British comedy writers. I did seven drafts of the script myself but it is not originally my script. At London Film Academy, we were not allowed to direct our own scripts, so I chose this one. Later, we developed the original idea further.
What was the most challenging part while working on the short?
As we had five actors while all the other films had only two or three, it was challenging to get everything done in the given budget. Also, due to the actors’ availability, I only had two-and-a-half days to shoot compared to others. This meant extra pressure to make things work.
It was very difficult to get a location within the budget. Also, we were shooting with two cameras, so lighting and other issues were doubly challenging.
Can you talk about the process of the film travelling through various festivals?
The film festival circuit around the world is a great way of getting an audience for your short film. Films generally travel for two years and this process can be a little expensive. So, I had sent the film to only a few festivals. I was delighted that LTAI made it to London, Los Angeles, Cannes, Prague and will hopefully go to more festivals.
Your film was screened at Cannes. How was the experience at the fest?
The experience at Cannes was eye opening. Your film needs to be really good to make it there. They are very serious about maintaining the standard and quality of films, which is how it should be. I also got to watch some great films and meet some wonderful people.
Considering you have a filmmaking degree from London Film Academy and have already assisted Girish Kasaravalli, why do you continue making short films?
Even though I have dabbled in the medium for sometime, I have only just started making films on my own. LTAI was my first short film. Short films are a great way of giving life to your own ideas and experimenting with the medium. I am very happy exploring different forms of the medium and subjects that are close to my heart. Feature films easily take two to three years of your life. I would like the story and content that I am exploring define the length and form of the film, whether it is a documentary, feature, short or telefilm.
Short films are not commercially viable because they do not get released in theatres. What’s your take on it?
I think the short film scene in India still has a long way to go. It is still looked upon as an amateur platform. And I find that we have still not grasped the structure and strength of the form itself. It is precisely because they don’t have commercial repercussions, that it is easy to experiment in short films. While it is cheaper to make a short due to digital equipment becoming easily accessible and relatively cheaper, it is not easy to make a good film. It still involves the entire process of filmmaking, from scripting to post production just like a feature film. I am enjoying working on projects that intrinsically interest me.
Let’s Talk About It; her British socio-political comedy short film was pretty much the talk of the town early in 2015. Making it to the Cannes Film Festival and London Asian Film Festival, it is still travelling and being appreciated world over. “I feel fortunate to have parents who are grounded and have lived their lives with honesty and dignity. I choose to build my life on that strong foundation of values, simplicity and hard work. Even though I never thought that I would become a director, literature and arts always interested me. Satyajit Ray, Ingmar Bergman and Andrzej Wajda pulled me towards direction,” she tells us.
Just like Deepti, Avi Vasu believes that he is still getting to know himself. He wants to test his limits and see the extent to which he can push his creative self. His first short film, Lost & Found, made it to the Cannes Film Festival in 2014. “I had just moved to Mumbai and this was my first short film in the new city. I met new friends and so many of them were just as lost as my character. As I was shooting the film, I got to see the city first hand. The film holds a very special place in my heart,” says the 25-year-old
The city is reeling under the strains of a struggling economy. An emergency meeting has been called between the major four services of London in order to decide which one receives the quarterly budgetary allocation,” explains Deepti Ghatge.
Starting out as it means to go on, the meeting quickly declines into petty squabbles and bickering. This film is is a comedy and a
socio-political satire on the British system. The characterizations in Let’s Talk.. are very interesting. Their relationships change as the film progresses. Along with the script, acting and dialogues, the humor in the film is also brought out through the sound design.”
“I am really happy that Let’s Talk was a part of the Cannes Film Festival. And I am glad that I went. There is way too much happening
at any given moment in Cannes. It can be a bit overwhelming. You never know who you might meet standing in line at a film screening or just bump into. You can feel a part of the film fraternity and it is amazing to see so many people from all over the world actively working on films.”
She says that the Cannes Film Festival remains one of the most important film festivals in the world. “The glamour of Cannes as we see it forms just a minuscule part of the festival. There is so much going on at Cannes. Many important deals, distributions and other decisions are taken in the action packed 10 days. Most importantly, Cannes has maintained its supremacy by focusing on the best films made in the world and that to me is the reason why Cannes continues to be so important.”
Deepti is busy with her next short film called Aajchi Baat which is a socio-political satire set on the streets of Pune. “I am currently in the midst of editing it. Nothing can prepare you for film. Be prepared to expect the unexpected, every single day, every single time,” she adds.
The frontline women who were felicitated included Dr. Sonali Pathrikar and Jyoti Phalke from the Zilla Parishad, Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC).
The FICCI Ladies Organization (FLO), Pune Chapter, in association with Magarpatta City honoured 12 frontline women warriors at an event Saturday in presence of BJP MLA Madhuri Misal and Zilla Parishad CEO Ayush Prasad.
“In India, about one crore people were infected by the coronavirus but we were able to restrain its spread, unlike the USA, mainly because of the work done by our Covid-19 essential workers and for their unity. All doctors, nurses and police personnel united in the time of crisis and worked round the clock for the welfare of the nation. I am glad to be a part of this event,” Misal said.
The frontline women who were felicitated included Dr Sonali Pathrikar and Jyoti Phalke from the Zilla Parishad, Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) officials Dr Vanashree Labshetwar, Deputy Commissioner Dr Anjali Sabne and medical officer from Shivajinagar constituency Kishori Shinde.
The other recipients include Dr Geeta Bora from Spherele NGO, film director Deepti Ghatge, deputy sarpanch from Pimpri Saandas village Sarika Shinde, chief nursing officer from Noble Hospital Dr Reema Tandale and Tripti Nanda, senior inspector with Sahakarnagar police station Shilpa Chawan and policewoman from CP office Minakshi Mahadik.
At the event, Zilla Parishad CEO Ayush Prasad said, “I remember visiting Sassoon Hospital in Pune once when the pandemic was at its peak. I found all the helpers in hospital, including doctors, nurses and other staff, were women who worked round-the-clock without taking leaves. Such is the strength of our women.”
He added the Zilla Parishad has also noted several cases of ‘Shadow Pandemic’, that is domestic violence during the lockdown. “Lots of women had to bear the brunt of violence at home, so we formed three departments across 7,000 wards to conduct a survey and act as mediators to pacify the family members. We noted 927 cases of violence against women and 38 divorce cases,” he said.
FICCI FLO’s Pune Chapter member Aneeta Sanas, who was also present at the event, said, “These women had ignored their own health and safety, and worked tirelessly to safeguard us all against Covid-19 and displayed their humility, kindness, diligence and strength.”
Pune: FICCI Ladies Organization (FLO) Pune Chapter produced short film ‘Swamaan Se’ – meaning ‘with dignity’, ‘with self-respect’ – has received national and international recognition.
The short film is written and directed by Deepti Ghatge and produced by Dr. Aneeta Sanas, Former Chairperson of FICCI Ladies Organization Pune Chapter and Neeru Goyal, Member, FLO.
“The short film ‘Swamaan Se’ has been selected for the Golden Short Film Festival in Rome and the Tokyo International Short Film Festival. Apart from that, the film was also awarded the National Award for Outstanding Performance by Jahnabi Phookan, National FLO President and former President of the Council and Board of Governors.”
- Dr Aneeta Sanas
Former Chairperson
FLO Pune Chapter
Deepti Ghatge said, “According to figures from the National Commission for Women’s Report, one in three women go through domestic abuse, physical, emotional or mental. During the lockdown period last year, the cases of domestic abuse increased by almost 100 percent. I found this upsetting and unsettling and that was the starting point for me to think about this subject and conceive a story that speaks about it. In the film, Aasha, our protagonist, hides her wounds and her pain, like any other woman, but eventually, she also speaks up. I wanted to portray this not in a melodramatic way but in a very subtle and simple way; in a way that can be done by anyone. I have used jewellery in the film, not as pieces that adorn the female body but as those that hide her painful wounds and her ongoing trauma.”
“Domestic abuse has a lot of social stigma attached to it. Abuse thrives in silence. We have the power to end it by shining a spotlight on it and creating awareness. It is a small but powerful step forward. Even if our film helps a single woman to think about her situation, if it helps a small dialogue going, it is a huge victory for our effort,” she added.
Pune, March 27, 2021: In order to create awareness on domestic violence and physical abuse against women, FICCI Ladies Organisation (FLO), Pune Chapter released a short film called ‘Swamaan Se’ meaning ‘with dignity’, ‘with self-respect’ during the organization’s annual day function held online. The film is written and directed by FLO Pune chapter member, Deepti Ghatge and produced by Dr. Aneeta Sanas, Chairperson of FLO Pune Chapter and Neeru Goyal, Member.
According to Sanas, there had been an increase in domestic violence cases especially in upper middle class families during the lockdown period.
“We wanted to bring this issue up in the public eye as it is our responsibility to help women who have been asking for justice. We want to urge them to not succumb to societal pressures and walk out of abusive relationships,” said Sanas.
The setting in the film is a wedding, which serves as a new start, not just for a woman but potentially 3 of them. Aasha, the protagonist, hides her wounds, her pain, like any other woman, but eventually, she speaks up. The film does not give a place or voice to the one who commits this abuse, and even though this film speaks of violence, it is not a part of the film and hence it is only suggestive through the marks on the protagonist’s body.
“Not rape, but domestic violence is the number one crime committed against women in India. The National Commission for Women (NCW) in India reported that in April 2020 there was an almost 100 percent increase in the cases reported on domestic violence during the lockdown and this data does not include the countless cases that go unreported. Our biggest objective in making this film is to create awareness regarding this issue and to have a dialogue going,” said Ghatge.
Apart from that, the function also focussed on FLO Pune Chapter’s philanthropic activities during last year under the aegis of Dr. Aneeta Sanas.
“The year 2020 was a year of opportunities in disguise and in the face of adversity, we found strength. With the pandemic, we got an opportunity to create a change in people’s lives,” said Sanas.
Members of FLO Pune including Usha Poonawala, Senior Vice Chairperson and Past Chairpersons including Varsha Talera, Sabina Sanghvi, Varsha Chordia, Sangeeta Lalwani and Ritu Chhabria were present during the occasion.
In the past year, the members took up various activities toward the betterment of the society including distribution of ration for transgender community, distribution of homeopathic medicines, village adoption program, toilet construction program, Mentorship services for women entrepreneurs, skill training for girls, environmental and tree plantation drives, distribution of robotic kits to girl students and vaccination drive for cervical cancer among other activities.
APR 2015 - National awards and laurels at international film festivals have failed to change people’s perception of short films, which are still treated by many as student films or as ‘labor of enthusiasm’ Award-winning Marathi filmmakers Ravi Jadhav, Umesh Kulkarni, and Dipti Ghatge have stressed on the need to take this genre (short films) seriously and recognize it as an art form. They feel this format is more serious than even feature films.
Jadhav”s film `Mitraa” won the 62nd National Award for the best short film while Umesh Kulkarni won his first national award for his diploma film titled `Girni (The Grinding Machine) that he made as a student of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII).
Even after making three criti cally acclaimed and successful feature films like ‘Valu’ (The Wild Bull), ‘Vihir’ (The Well), and ‘Deool’ (Temple), Umesh has continued to make short films. Kulkarni told TOI, “It’s not that short films are easy to make than feature films. Both genres require equal efforts and filmmakers must ap proach a short film with equal professionalism. The audience should also take them seriously.”
Kulkarni said that his recent short film, ‘Makhi’, was screened at the Clermont Ferrand -arguably the world”s biggest short film festival. Kulkarni said his love for this format of filmmaking is such that he makes at least one after every two feature films. “The best way to promote short films is by screening them on television. It’s already happening worldwide. In fact, we are approaching television channels to undertake this project, which is at a very nascent stage. I am sure, people’s perspective would change,” said Kulkarni.
Deepti Ghatge, another city-based filmmaker, who recently completed her filmmaking course at the London Film Academy, said, “I had 14 drafts of my short film spanning 10 to 12 minutes. The film is a co-production with the edit and sound to be done in London. I have executed the entire project as professionally as one would do a feature.”
Ghatge’s short film ‘Aaj chi baat’ (in today’s news) is a sociopolitical satire set in the late 90s where all characters of the film meet at a junction and a situation that prevails thereafter.
Ghatge said, “Short give scope for a lot of experimentation which is not possible in a feature. Yet, it is as important as a feature film. It is nice to see that short films are winning awards nationally and internationally, but I’m afraid they are still treated as students’ films.”
Devashish Makhija, another filmmaker who came to Mumbai to do a feature film, ended up making short films and is enjoying his work.
Makhija said, “In the 60s and 70s, the Film Division used to telecast a lot of 20-30 minutes short films on television. But in the last two decades, Indian cinema has started to ape American cinema and that is when this format started to die.”
Makhija said that a lot of short films made by FTII graduates are telecast on TV channels in Europe that have dedicated slots for short films.
Makhija’s recent short film -‘Elayichi’ -was launched on Youtube in February and has also been selected in the competition section of the Kerala International Film Festival.
पुणे, दि. २७ – कौटुंबिक हिंसाचाराविरुध्द, शारीरिक हिंसाचाराविरुद्ध महिलांमध्ये जागरूकता निर्माण व्हावी यासाठी ‘फिक्की लेडीज ऑर्गनायझेशन’ (फ्लो), पुणे चॅप्टरने ‘स्वमान से’ अर्थात सन्मानाने या लघुपटाची निर्मिती केली आहे. या लघुपटाचे अनावरण शुक्रवारी फ्लो पुणे चॅप्टरच्या ऑनलाईन वार्षिक स्नेहमेळाव्यात चॅप्टरच्या अध्यक्षा डॉ. अनिता सणस व सर्व सदस्यांच्या उपस्थितीत करण्यात आले.
यावेळी वरिष्ठ उपाध्यक्ष उषा पूनावाला, माजी अध्यक्षा वर्षा तलेरा, सबिना संघवी, वर्षा चोरडिया, संगीता लालवाणी, रितू छाब्रिया आदी उपस्थित होते.
या लघुपटाचे लेखन, दिग्दर्शन फ्लो पुणे चॅप्टरच्या सदस्य दीप्ती घाटगे यांचे असून चॅप्टरच्या अध्यक्षा डॉ. सणस व नीरु गोयल या निर्मात्या आहेत. लॉकडाऊनच्या काळात समाजात विशेषतः उच्च मध्यम वर्गीय कुटुंबांमध्ये कौटुंबिक हिंसाचाराचे प्रमाण वाढले असल्याचे यावेळी सणस यांनी सांगितले.
त्या म्हणाल्या, “मला वाटते की ही समस्या समाजापुढे उघडपणे आणायला हवी. ज्या महिलांना मदतीची गरज आहे, ज्या मदत मागत आहेत त्यांना मदत करणे ही आपली जबाबदारी आहे. आपण सामाजिक दबाव आणत या शारीरिक अत्याचारातून बाहेर पडण्यास मदत केली पाहिजे.”
लघुपटाची सुरुवात एका लग्न प्रसंगाने केली आहे. ज्यात 3 जणांच्या नव्या आयुष्याची सुरुवात होते. आशा जी नायिका आहे ती अन्य सामान्य स्त्रियांप्रमाणेच आपल्या जखमा, अत्याचार लपवत असते. परंतु बहिणीच्या लग्नात ती पण यातून बाहेर पडण्याचे धाडसी पाऊल उचलत नव्या जीवनाची सुरुवात करते. कौटुंबिक हिंसाचार हा विषय यात मांडलेला असला तरी पिडीतेचा नवरा किंवा प्रत्यक्ष हिंसाचाराचे प्रसंग न दाखवता केवळ शरीरावरील जखमांच्या माध्यमातून अत्यंत प्रभावशालीरित्या विषयाची मांडणी करण्यात आली आहे.
याविषयी घाटगे म्हणाल्या, “भारतातील महिंलावर होणाऱ्या सर्वाधिक गुन्ह्यांमध्ये क्रमांक एक वर बलात्कार नव्हे तर कौटुंबिक हिंसाचार आहे. राष्ट्रीय महिला आयोगाच्या अहवालानुसार लॉकडाऊनच्या काळात एप्रिल २०२० मध्ये केवळ नोंद झालेल्या कौटुंबिक हिंसाचाराच्या गुन्ह्यांमध्ये १०० टक्के वाढ झाली आहे. त्यामुळे या लघुपटाद्वारे आम्हाला हा विषय पुन्हा एकदा प्रकाशझोतात आणून त्याविषयी समाजात संवाद घडवून आणण्याचा आमचा प्रयत्न आहे.”
याशिवाय या वार्षिक स्नेह मेळाव्यात गेल्या वर्षाभरात डॉ. सणस यांच्या अध्यक्षतेखाली फ्लो पुणे चॅप्टरने केलेल्या विविध कामांचा आढावा घेण्यात आला. “या वर्ष २०२० मधील कोरोनाच्या काळात आम्हाला अनेक आव्हानांना तोंड द्यावे लागले. त्यामुळे आम्हाला आमच्या क्षमता तपासून पाहण्याची संधी मिळाली. त्या अधिक ताणत आम्हाला आमच्या नव्या वाटा सापडल्या. नवी शक्तिस्थाने समजली,” अशा भावना सणस यांनी व्यक्त केल्या.
मागील वर्षी फ्लो पुणे चॅप्टरने तृतीय पंथीयांना किराणा सामान, होमिओपॅथिक गोळ्यांचे वाटप, गाव दत्तक घेणे, पक्के स्वच्छतागृह बंधणे, महिला उद्योजीकांसाठी कार्यशाळा, कौशल्य विकास कार्यक्रम, वृक्षारोपण, रोबोटिक्स कीटचे विद्यार्थिनींना वाटप असे वैविध्यपूर्ण कार्यक्रम राबविले.
https://maharashtralokmanch.com/2021/03/27/flow-pune-chapter-made-a-short-film-on-domestic-violence/
पर्वती विधानसभा मतदार संघाच्या आमदार माधुरी मिसाळ आणि पुणे जिल्हा परिषदेचे मुख्य कार्यकारी अधिकारी आयुष प्रसाद यांच्या हस्ते मानचिन्ह ...
पर्वती विधानसभा मतदार संघाच्या आमदार माधुरी मिसाळ आणि पुणे जिल्हा परिषदेचे मुख्य कार्यकारी अधिकारी आयुष प्रसाद यांच्या हस्ते मानचिन्ह प्रदान करीत पुणे जिल्हा, पुणे शहर, सामाजिक संस्था, गावपातळी, रुग्णालये आणि पोलीस खाते या आघाड्यांवर काम करणाऱ्या १२ महिला कोरोना योद्ध्यांना या वेळी सन्मानित करण्यात आले.
फ्लो पुणेच्या अध्यक्षा डॉ. अनिता सणस, वरिष्ठ उपाध्यक्षा उषा पूनावाला, फ्लो पुणे चॅप्टरच्या अनेक महिला सदस्या आदी या वेळी उपस्थित होत्या.
पुणे जिल्ह्यात कार्यरत असलेल्या डॉ. सोनाली पात्रीकर व डॉ. ज्योती फाळके, पुणे शहर उपायुक्त डॉ. वनश्री लब्शेटवार, पुणे महानगरपालिकेच्या सह आरोग्य अधिकारी डॉ. अंजली साबणे, शिवाजीनगर घोले रस्ता क्षेत्रीय अधिकारी किशोरी शिंदे, स्पेर्युल या समाजसेवी संस्थेच्या डॉ. गीता बोरा, चित्रपट दिग्दर्शक दीप्ती घाटगे, पिंपरी सांडस गावाच्या उपसरपंच सारिका शिंदे, नोबल रुग्णालयाच्या डॉ. रीमा तांदळे, रुग्णालयाच्या मुख्य नर्सिंग अधिकारी तृप्ती नंदा, सहकारनगर पोलीस स्थानकाच्या वरिष्ठ पोलीस निरीक्षक शिल्पा चव्हाण आणि पोलीस आयुक्त कार्यालयातील सर्व्हेलन्स विभागातील पोलीस नाईक मीनाक्षी महाडिक आदींना पुरस्कार देत गौरविण्यात आले.
डॉ. अनिता सणस यांनी प्रास्ताविक केले तर सोनिया राव यांनी आभार प्रदर्शन केले.
कोल्हापूर रविवार, 3 मे 2015 – 01:00 AM IST
येथील तरुणाई फिल्म इंडस्ट्रीत आता “लोकल टू ग्लोबल‘ भरारी घेत असून, दीप्ती घाटगे यांच्या “लेटस् टॉक अबाउट इट‘ या फिल्मची कान्स कोर्ट मेट्राज फेस्टिव्हलसाठी निवड झाली आहे. त्यांच्या या पूर्वीच्या “द्वीप‘ या कन्नड फिल्मसाठी आणि “इटस् प्रभात‘ या डॉक्युमेंटरीसाठी राष्ट्रीय पुरस्कार मिळाले आहेत.
दरम्यान, कोल्हापूरच्या अनेक मुली व महिला फिल्म इंडस्ट्रीत अभिनयासह साऊंड, एडिटिंग अशा विविध क्षेत्रांत यशोलौकिकाच्या शिलेदार ठरल्या आहेत. दीप्ती घाटगे यांच्या निमित्ताने आता लेखन व दिग्दर्शनातही येथील स्त्री-कर्तृत्वाचा ठसा ठळक झाला आहे.
दीप्ती येथील होलिक्रॉस कॉन्व्हेन्ट स्कूलच्या विद्यार्थिनी. पुणे विद्यापीठातून त्यांनी ‘कम्युनिकेशन स्टडीज’ या विषयात पोस्ट ग्रॅज्युएशन केल्यानंतर त्या चित्रपट क्षेत्रात आल्या. खरं तर डान्स, ड्रॉईंग आणि पेंटिंग्ज् अशा कलाविषयांत त्यांना विशेष आवड; मात्र पुण्यात शिकताना जागतिक सिनेमा त्यांनी पाहिला आणि साहजिकच त्यांच्यातील संवेदनशील मनाला हे माध्यम अधिक भावलं. प्रसिद्ध दिग्दर्शक गिरीश कासारवल्ली यांना त्यांनी “द्वीप‘ या चित्रपटासाठी सहदिग्दर्शन केले. या चित्रपटासाठी राष्ट्रीय सुवर्णकमळ मिळाले. गिरीश कासारवल्ली यांच्याबरोबरच्या कामाचा अनुभव कसा होता, याबाबत त्या सांगतात, “”एका प्रसिद्ध दिग्दर्शकाबरोबर काम करायचं दडपण होतेच; पण प्रत्यक्ष काम सुरू केल्यानंतर ते जितके चांगले दिग्दर्शक आहेत, त्याच्याहीपेक्षा एक माणूस म्हणून ते अधिक चांगले असल्याची जाणीव झाली. आपल्या टीममधील प्रत्येक घटकाला समान वागणूक आणि सेटवर सतत आनंदाचे वातावरण कसे ठेवायचे, या गोष्टीही त्यांच्याकडून शिकायल्या मिळाल्या. अगदी दिवसभर आम्हाला पाण्यात उभे राहून चित्रीकरण करावे लागले होते.‘‘ एकूणच एका प्रतिभावंत दिग्दर्शकाबरोबरचा अनुभव आणि लंडन फिल्म ऍकॅडमीतील प्रशिक्षणाच्या जोरावर आता त्या एकापेक्षा एक सरस कलाकृती प्रेक्षकांसमोर आणत आहेत आणि त्याला तितकाच उत्स्फूर्त प्रतिसाद मिळतो आहे.
मुली किंवा महिलांनाही दिग्दर्शनाच्या क्षेत्रात अनेक संधी आहेत; मात्र त्यासाठी आपण दोन वेगवेगळ्या चित्रांकडे पाहताना कोणत्या नजरेतून पाहतो, ही गोष्ट महत्त्वाची असते. थोडक्यात दोन चित्रांमधील भाषा कोणत्याही शब्दांशिवाय आपल्याला समजली पाहिजे, असेही त्या सांगतात. त्याच वेळी शॉर्टफिल्मकडे केवळ फिल्म इंडस्ट्रीत येणाऱ्या नवोदितांच्या फिल्म अशा दृष्टिकोनातून न पाहता शॉर्टफिल्मही अधिक कलात्मक पद्धतीने तयार करता येतात, हा विचार त्यामागे महत्त्वाचा असल्याचे मतही त्या आवर्जून नोंदवतात.
‘लेटस् टॉक अबाउट इट’
एखादे शहर विचित्र आर्थिक स्थितीतून जात असताना तत्काळ एक बैठक बोलाविली जाते आणि त्यात वाद-प्रतिवाद सुरू होतात. आपल्याच एका कक्षेत रमणाऱ्या काही व्यक्ती असतात आणि त्यांना व्यापक दृष्टिकोनापेक्षा त्यातच रमायला आवडते; मात्र यातून होणाऱ्या विनोदाची निर्मिती हासुद्धा एखाद्या फिल्मचा आशय होऊ शकतो, याच मध्यवर्ती संकल्पनेवर ‘लेटस् टॉक अबाउट इट’ बेतला आहे.
मुलींना फिल्म इंडस्ट्रीतील करिअरसाठी पालकांचा सपोर्ट अधिक महत्त्वाचा असतो. माझे आई विजया, वडील मोहन पाटील आणि सासरी आल्यानंतर सासू नंदिनी व सासरे मोहन घाटगे यांच्यासह पती गौरव आणि मुलगा अर्ष यांचे पाठबळ मिळाल्यानेच एकापेक्षा एक सुंदर कलाकृती बनवू शकलो.
– दीप्ती घाटगे.
