Subjects that connect

Jasmine Singh

A film might not have intense physical presence of characters and even space; it still has its own share of dos and don’ts, which decide its fate at the box office. Well-known theatre person Sahib Singh has seen standing ovation for his theatre plays, and now he stands behind the camera, wishing that his film at least touches the heart of the audience. 

Sahib Singh is all set to engage the audience with his ‘almost’ debut Punjabi film Sulghadi Mitti. First, Sahib Singh explains the ‘almost’ attached to his debut. “I had made a feature film earlier as well, for some reasons the producers did not release it, so Sulghadi Mitti is kind of first to be released film.” The explanation brings smile to his face.

The film stars Deep Mandeep, Pavel Sandhu, Dolly Saddal, Gulshan Saggi and other artistes.  As a theatre person, there is a volley of work that stands to explain Sahib Singh’s expertise in this field. 

He has seen and felt the instant gratification that only theatre offers. But with a film, he would have to wait to see whether it gets a thumbs up or not from the audience. “Agreed, but I like to put things this way. In theatre I can still bring in small changes with every show as per the reaction from the audience, but with films I know whatever I have made, there would be no change in the content or acting, even 10 years down the line,” he adds, moving onto the topic of how he thought of making Sulghadi Mitti.

“We all know about the five elements in the universe; fire, water, air, sky and earth. A woman knows how to balance even in the absence of one element. So, I will be making a series of five different films under one common title Unanswered Questions, and Sulghadi Mitti is the first short film in this series.”

As he mentioned before, Sahib Singh has an experience of making a film, and he makes it a point to talk about his theatre experience that supports his film making stint. “If you understand and have seen the depth of theatre, it would come as an immense help in making a film as well, it is this theatre experience that will help in creating characters, writing and developing screenplay and more.” Punjabi cinema is all about commercial hits, films made with strong and thought-provoking subjects haven’t gone down well with the audience, and neither have they translated into box office gains. “Films in Punjab are being made on a linear pattern, with no characterisation or story, only if we give the audience something which is thought provoking yet light on their mind, why wouldn’t they take it.” 

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