Box full of ideas

Mona

Call it beginner’s luck or result of hard work, a Special Jury Mention at the 10th Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival for his short film, Pencil Box, makes writer-director Amit Sanouria a really happy man.

This graduate from PGGC-11, Chandigarh, did a post-graduate diploma in acting from Madhya Pradesh School of Drama, Bhopal, and a post-graduate diploma in filmmaking from Griffith Film School, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia, has been associated with theatre since a long time.

Amit, who has been running a theatre company called Satvik Arts in Chandigarh since 2013, says it’s been a rough road for him to survive as a theatre artiste. “I recognised the artiste in me early in life. My association with dramatics club in college put me on this path. But my passion is not enough to sustain myself and my family.”

Amit adds that because of his supportive family he has been able to live his dream.

Short & sweet

Pencil Box was conceived when Amit was studying filmmaking in Australia. “It was during a class assignment that the story idea originated. When I came back, I wanted to make it into a short film.”

The story revolves around a young boy called Appu and his parents, who live in a small village in Himachal Pradesh. Appu’s family has been hiding a truth. As a group of eunuchs come to their house to forcibly take Appu away, the secret is revealed and the story progresses from there on.

The film was shot in Himachal Pradesh and in Chandigarh. It was produced by Shipra Chadha from Wonderer Films. “When I sent the film to festivals, I was apprehensive. The struggle of the transgender community in India is very different from what it faces in other countries. However, the film was selected for as many as 10 prestigious festivals. That really boosted our confidence. Sadly, the screenings of the film couldn’t happen due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but it is garnering good response on YouTube.”

Truly inspired

A die-hard fan of Satyajit Ray and Christopher Nolan, Amit admits that it was only after completing his filmmaking course in Australia that he could value the master filmmakers’ works. “Till I learnt the craft of filmmaking, I was not equipped to appreciate Ray’s works.” His other favourite filmmaker is Vishal Bhardwaj. “I so want to assist him,” says Amit, who is currently focusing on writing scripts. “My next story is about a water mafia. I want to highlight how the Land of Five Rivers is dealing with water issues.”

mona@tribunemail.com