IAS officer, son enthusiastic over release of their movie

Manmeet Singh Gill

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, January 19

At a time when farmer suicides are rampant due to financial distress, a city-based father-son duo have come up with Punjabi movie ‘Saggi Phull’ to highlight a few causes leading to the present situation.

Bakhtawar Singh, an IAS officer, has written the script of the movie while his son Amitoz Shergill, an electrical engineer, is playing the lead role. The movie was released in all Punjabi-speaking areas worldwide on January 19. They said they are quite enthusiastic about it.

Talking to The Tribune, Bakhtawar Singh said, “It is an effort to spread a message while entertaining the audience, highlighting how to bring prosperity back to the farmers with marginal means with a strong will not go beyond their capacity.” The heavy mechanisation of agriculture despite marginal land holdings has immensely contributed to the present farming crisis, he said.

The upcoming movie is based on the life of a farmer who though has a small land holding, instead of being swayed by advertisements and peer pressure to buy a big tractor, continues to till his land with his bullocks in present times.

Bakhtawar said, “In my career as an administrator, I have came across many farmers with small land holdings but leading a blissful life. Instead of being swayed by pomp and show in marriages and daily life, they chose simplicity. And it has made the difference.”

The script writer said he met one such farmer. “He had a half and one acre of land and two bullocks. The lifestyle was simple but they weren’t burdened by any debt,” he said.

Bakhtawar has also penned poetry books. Talking about his first film, Amitoz said, “The movie has a strong message but it is not preachy. The idea behind it was to entertain people and at the same time leave subtle hints for the audience.”