Short film on Nurpur Fort by school kids wins accolades

The 11th century Nurpur Fort located on a hillock, with Jhabbar Khad (a tributary of the Chakki river), in Pathankot has always been considered a hidden gem rather than a tourist hot spot. Its heritage value is attributed to its unique architecture that blends Mughal and Rajput influences. It was built by Jeth Pal of the Tomar/Pathania lineage and became an important seat of the Pathania dynasty.

Lesser known even in this region, the historic Nurpur Fort became the subject for a short film made by two students from Spring Dale School. Ojasv Bhutani and Sumyra, both 14, directed and created the seven-minute short film on Nurpur Fort's history and heritage value. The film has recently won recognition and was shortlisted in the top 16 entries at the 8th Aryan International Children's Film Festival of Jaipur --- AICFF 2025, Jaipur. The film was competing with other entries from across the country in the Minutes Movie Making competition. The festival was organised by the Jaipur International Film Festival Trust, Aryan Roj Foundation.

"The film was first made as project for the Filmit — Itihas Ki Amar Dharohar — contest that is hosted by INTACH Punjab every year. We made the film when we were in Class 8 and were taught the nuances of film-making at a workshop hosted INTACH," shared Ojasv, who is now in Grade 9. The selected films on heritage at the Filmit were forwarded to INTACH Heritage Education and Communication Division and then the best was selected for participation in international festivals.

Exploring the hidden historical gem, both Ojasv and Sumyra did not know about Nurpur Fort before they found out about the quaint, less visited fort with a rich history and architectural detail close to Amritsar during their research. "We wanted to do something that would connect us and our generation to the heritage we have been missing out on. While researching for its narration and history, I found out about the Brij Raj Swami Temple built in the 16th century inside the Fort, noted for its rare tradition of worshipping both Lord Krishna and his devotee Meera Bai together," he said.

According to certain historians, the fort was renamed "Nurpur" as the Mughal empress Nur Jahan is said to have been impressed by it. The original name of the town was "Dhameri". It is currently under the control of the Archaeological Survey of India' as restoration work has been going on for decades now.

Sumyra, who captured the stunning visuals of the fort on her camera, said that the project was a learning experience. "Most of us in our generation are not aware about our built heritage. So, in that context, the film was a special experience," she said.

Ojasv feels that after working on the project, he realised that the students today are stressed, learning technology-driven details, while missing out on experiential learning, especially about the past.

“I belong to Pathankot, but had only heard about it. I have an inclination towards Lord Krishna and the temple inside the fort intrigued me. I have not seen such a heritage structure around Punjab and the region till date. The carvings on stone were intricate, the Krishna Leelas were mesmerising, so was the entire place,” Sumyra told this correspondent.

She also shared how such structures must go viral. “Not many are aware about them and it is generically true for most heritage structures in our country. The old generation did all they could to preserve them and now, it’s for our generation to take this structural legacy forward,” she stated.

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