Independent 'Punjabi film 'Ghar Aaja Jeetu' wins global accolades

Neha Saini

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, October 9

'Ghar Aaja Jeetu', an independent Punjabi film based on a real life story of a drug addict and struggles of families of addicts with substance abuse prevalent in Punjab, had added some more international accolades to its credit. The film has been shortlisted to be screened at the Indian International Film Festival, Toronto, and will also be screened at Reel Recovery Film Festival, New York over the weekend.

Apart from the two screenings, it will also be showcased at an independent screening in Ontario, as part of an awareness campaign towards drug de-addiction. Three years into making, and a budget that can only be termed as ‘meagre’, the film’s success has come as a surprise for its director, Jaswant Mintu, and producer, Dr Jaswinder Gandhi, who is a medical officer at the Government Medical College in the city. “When I made the film, my sole purpose was to share my experience with the world; to depict how deeply the drug abuse problem affects our families and loved ones. I never thought my humble initiative would gain global appreciation,” he said. “We didn’t have any intentions of promoting or marketing the film, but it gained credit through the word of mouth," he added.

After witnessing the death of a health worker, who fell prey to alcohol addiction and substance abuse, Dr Gandhi decided to make a film that will serve as educational as well as inspirational tool in combating drug addiction. Being associated with NGO Amrit Drug De-addiction and research foundation for past 12 years, Dr Gandhi’s film has been supported by another NGO, Voice of Amritsar.

Earlier this year, the film had won the Award of Merit at the International Film Festival in Jakarta. It also won Best Costume award at the Brasov International film festival in Romania, being of the nine official entries and later won the Merit award at the Awareness Film Festival in Los Angeles. Not just overseas, but the film has already impressed the critics and audience back home, with its multiple screenings across major cities, including Delhi. “The film has been selected to be introduced under the training and rehabilitation programmes by the government-sponsored Muktangan centres (drug de-addiction centres) in the Western region. Also, it will be screened at the Delhi International Film Festival and Lake City International Film Festival, Bhopal, in the coming months,” says Dr Gandhi.

Expressing happiness over achieving his goal of spreading the message rather than winning awards, Dr Jaswinder Gandhi said that his film was never made for material gains. “It was never about money, fame or creative achievements, but about telling honest, real stories, straight from the heart. 'Ghar Aaja Jeetu' is more of a personal account of my experiences that would give people an idea of the magnitude of the drug abuse problem,” he shared.