27112024-LSTC-01.qxd 11/26/2024 11:39 PM Page 1 c m y b VISION LOSS FOR ELTON Singer-songwriter Elton John revealed that he lost vision in his right eye in July and it was due to an eye infection he sustained while spending the summer in the south of France. “It kind of floored me, and I can’t see anything. I can’t read anything, I can’t watch anything,” he shared. TRIBUNE Wrap up Life PHOTO: LALIT KUMAR Bollywood actress Kajol has penned a heartwarming note for the team of her upcoming project (yet-untitled) after wrapping it up. Kajol shared a string of pictures on Instagram. CHANDIGARH | WEDNESDAY | 27 NOVEMBER 2024 Reality check Nonika Singh W HEN someone was saying ‘you can’t have it all’, Devkanya Thakur was clearly not listening. Filmmaker, writer, poet, founder of Shimla International Film Festival and now member of Preview Committee for Best Debut Director of Indian Film Feature Award, International Film Festival of India, her plate is more than full. Biting into what others might find difficult to chew, she digests it all with a flourish. “All disciplines are not only interconnected, but feed off each other.” she observes. Rather things in her life have been offset almost like a chain reaction. Her foray into journalism led her into filmmaking. As her thesis/ research paper spoke about absence of property rights for tribal women in Himachal Pradesh, she set out to take the message wider and made her first documentary, No Woman’s Land. The film earned a mention by National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and found place in prestigious film festivals. As she delved into women’s rights and concepts like polyandry, a poem, Pahad Ki Aurat, acquired shape and so did a radio show by the same name, which won a National Award. In 2015, her brainchild Shimla International Film Festival was born out of a simple desire to showcase her acclaimed film No Woman’s Land with likeminded enthusiasts. Often, she finds herself at odds with those who see cinema only as a means of entertainment. For, a short course on film appreciation at the prestigious Film and Training Institute of India, Pune, not only taught her how to approach filmmaking individualistically but also changed the meaning of movies for her. In states like Kerala, producers are readily available. Here most of us end up dipping into our own pockets, says Shimlabased filmmaker and writer Devkanya Thakur More recently, when she saw 117 films to shortlist five along with seven other jury members for IFFI’s committee, she was floored by the vision of many filmmakers, especially those from South India and North East. She says, “There were so many authentic voices. Since not all films can be part of IFFI’s selection, I have decided to include many in the next edition of my film festival in Shimla.” Why northern region lags behind in making quality cinema? She finds government policies and lack of finances as major stumbling blocks. “In states like Kerala, producers are readily available. Here most of us end up dipping into our own pockets,” she adds. For her latest film Poutu, with which she has taken to fiction, she too had to seek the support of her partner in creativity, her brother Pushp Raj Thakur, also the co-founder of Shimla International Film Festival. Poutu, incidentally, is the name of the dress which Himachalis wear and is often woven by female members of the family. The film interweaves relationships and weaves of the state to impress upon its His bid to find answers about human existence is the inspiration behind Sanjay Dhawan’s works The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance, said Aristotle. And pursuing this journey is Sanjay Dhawan. An engineer by qualification, Dhawan had two false starts — choosing a job over art each time to make ends meet. Finally on the third attempt, he took the final plunge! About 10 years on of this unconventional move, Dhawan has a score of exhibitions to his credit; some solo, others group. Currently, he is exhibiting Metamorphosis at Art Gallery, Alliance Francaise-36, Chandigarh. As many as 25 art pieces adorn the wall, two sculptures take the prime spot as Dhawan mingles with guests at the opening on Monday. Welcoming walk-ins was his wife, whom the artist credits for the dream he was living. ART IN THE CITY Living it up... “I loved art from childhood and this is all I have ever wanted to do,” shared Dhawan. He candidly talked of his journey. “It’s my family that supported me through it all.” Having tried it twice, on his third chance he resolved not to get another job. “It’s not easy to live as an artist. PHOTO: PRADEEP TEWARI Mona But I have chosen this road, for good now.” His pieces on display were made of cardboard. While some were regular cut and paste job, others were furbished with POP and chiselled. One of the series was called Reminiscence, which he claimed reshaped him as a person. “My journey to find answers and an understanding of human existence became the inspiration behind my creations.” His works carry his experiences of life, but he is open to interpretation by the viewers! (On at Alliance Francaise-36, till November 30) International Emmy Awards 2024: The Night Manager loses in Best Drama Series category to Les Gouttes de Dieu NARROW MISS The Night Manager, starring Aditya Roy Kapur, Anil Kapoor and Sobhita Dhulipala, was India’s entry at the International Emmy Awards 2024. It was nominated in the Best Drama Series category. However, it lost to Les Gouttes de Dieu. The International Emmys were held in New York. The crime thriller was competing with three nominees, the French show Les Gouttes de Dieu (Drops of God), the Australian show The Newsreader-Season 2, and Argentina’s Iosi, El Espia Arrepentido Season 2 (Yosi, the Regretful Spy). Les Gouttes de Dieu was announced as the winner. The team of The Night Manager also walked the red carpet. Actor Aditya Roy Kapur looked dapper in a black tuxedo. The actor attended the event with his team. The Indian version of The Night Manager, which is directed by Sandeep Modi, also features Tillotama Shome, Ravi Behl and Saswata Chatterjee in supporting roles. Stand-up comedian and actor Vir Das, who won his first International Emmy Award last year for his Netflix special Landing, turned heads as a host at the Inter- ADITYA ROY KAPUR national Emmy Awards 2024. He looked dapper in a black suit and left the audience in splits with his hilarious banter. The International Emmy for Arts Programming went to Pianoforte. — ANI TEAM THE NIGHT MANAGER c m y b VIR DAS cultural traditions and changing social matrix. Being a woman filmmaker, the first challenge indeed is to overcome the inherent gender bias ingrained in our society. Then finding the right technical crew too is a concern and she quips, “Often I have to make-do with camerapersons whose only qualification is making marriage videos.” As a filmmaker, her singular mission is, “To show Himachalis as they are and their struggles, how vagaries of weather and climate change affect them adversely.” She has no issues with Bollywood makers who romanticise the hill state for ‘fantasy too is an integral part of cinema’. A proud pahadi aurat, she can see many pluses in her state and natural beauty is only the tip of the iceberg. “One big advantage is how it allows me thehraav, ample time to pause and ponder,” she muses. It’s this leisured pace of things, which grants her the luxury to wear many hats at the same time. Only she is in no hurry to reach the top. Slow and steady is part of her Himachali DNA. As it is, to make a mark with dogged tenacity. Among her many laurels is a community radio station through which she disseminates knowledge in a mix of Hindi and pahadi dialect. Films like Behind The Bars, a look at the life in jails, has won her first prize from National Human Rights Commission. Gleefully, this mother of two avers, “I am a modern woman. I want it all — career, husband, motherhood.” A classic case of having her cake and eating it too…. But none of it has been a cakewalk. As she writes, ‘ Barfili hawaon se ladi hoon mein…. samay ke chakr ko chupchaap bhedti mein pahad ki aurat. (I have braced the chill of winds….Me a hill woman quietly penetrating the cycle of time.)’