Bitter home truths with ‘Jaggi’

Punjabi movie ‘Jaggi’, released on MUBI, has been getting rave reviews for its brave and honest exploration of issues of sexuality and bullying in a rural setting. Sheetal talks to director Anmol Sidhu. Excerpts:

Now that ‘Jaggi’ is finally available on OTT, what has been the response?

I have been flooded with calls and messages. People have shared how they have been through the same trauma. For many, ‘Jaggi’ represents a personal reality that has for long been ignored or simply buried. The most interesting messages are that such films should be made in Punjab rather than the clichéd ones that hit the theatres every Friday.

How difficult was the whole process of scripting, acting and direction?

We were all students of theatre and were part of Alankar Theatre Group. Ramnish Chaudhary was a junior and I had directed him in one of my plays. When I narrated the story, he thought it’s a subject that deserves a film. The only challenge was the lack of equipment. So, most of the scenes were shot in a single take. There were technical hurdles which we as a team managed to overcome. To keep it real, I preferred long shots and as every actor had a background in theatre, it went off smoothly.

It’s a film that’s brutally honest and sensitive.

To be honest, when we decided to make a film on a disturbing reality that’s prevalent in rural Punjab and is still not called out, it meant we were ready to deal with any eventuality. I think we were all very well trained by Chakresh Kumar Sir to approach any scene fearlessly.

For the intense role of Jaggi, Ramnish was handed the script seven months prior to the shoot to imbibe the trauma and struggles. He stayed away from the other actors and the only inputs came from me, so that the ridicule Jaggi faced could transfer well on to the screen.

How has the creative process of making ‘Jaggi’ and its success changed you and the team?

It has changed everything for us. It was when I thought of making this film that I bought a camera. Ramnish and Harmandeep Singh, who play the main characters, were always there with me. Harman used to work as an Amazon delivery boy. When I asked him if he could assist me, he agreed without thinking twice, despite having only a few scenes. He picked tripods and assisted me throughout the making of ‘Jaggi’. Ramnish too pitched in.

We made the whole film travelling on a motorcycle to different places. We did everything ourselves, from editing to sound design and would sit for days in a small apartment while also dubbing. My mother was also a great host. We made the film with zero external funding and finally found producers for our next project as they saw our talent and work through international festivals. It motivated us a lot.

Did you fall back upon cinematic references?

I consider Anurag Kashyap as my guru. He once said that one can make a movie through a phone and it really inspired me. It was a great honour to see him present our film. There’s a film, ‘4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days’, that inspires me. It is directed by Cristian Mungiu. I like every film of his. It influences my filmmaking.

‘Jaggi’ supposedly is based on true events.

It’s based on facts but there are also fictional inputs. It’s a mix of five-six incidents. For instance, one came from my brother’s hostel, of seniors sexually assaulting minors. There’s also a novel, ‘Rohi Biabaan’, by Karmjit Singh Kussa. The book did help in research work.