Nandita Das, the queen of unconventional cinema, has gone one step ahead by signing a film titled Ramchand Pakistani which is directed by a young Pakistani filmmaker Mehreen Jabar. The film also stars some famous television actors from Pakistan.
Throwing some light on the story of the film Nandita says, “The story is inspired by a real life incident and revolves around a small seven year old boy (Ramchand) who along with his father (Hindu Dalit settled in Pakistan) accidentally crosses the border. The story moves parallel between the father-son in Kutch jail and the mother left in a small village in Pakistan, unaware about the whereabouts of her family.” Talking about director Mehreen, she says, “I met Mehreen at Kara Film Festival where Bawandar was to be screened. Later on, we became friends and she narrated me this story which I found very powerful. She is a very intelligent and a sensitive director.”
On asking about her character in the film, Nandita informs, “I play the mother of Ramachand, a Hindu dalit who is a Pakistani by Nationality named Champa. There are lot of Hindu Dalit families who were left behind during the partition in the Sindh area. In fact, their language and their ways of dressing is very similar to that of people living in Rajasthan and Gujarat border area.” She further says, “The film also brings in the limelight the complexities of being a Hindu dalit and Pakistani at the same time, in an Indian jail.”
Ramachand Pakistani will be showcased at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York.
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