Prasad was happy to have sponsored the awards for the 1st edition of the Doc film Bazaar held at the 37th edition of the Mumbai International Film Festival (MIFF). This is the first-ever, one-of-a kind Documentary Film Bazaar in 2024. This was held on June 18, 2024.
The NFDC and Doc Film Bazaar team is grateful for the support of Prasad for facilitating the winners and participants. The filmmakers are enthused by this award in the form of studio resources.
Details of the Award
Prasad Post Production Award 2024 by Prasad Film Labs (Mumbai) Pvt. Ltd. will offer
- a free digital intermediate (DI) with a free 4K output (50 Hours) to Hearsay,
- will offer a 50% discount for the digital intermediate (DI) with a free 4K output (50 Hours) to I’m Not Home, Where is My Home? and Rukhu Matir Dukhu Majhi.
Details of the Films awarded by Prasad:
- Hearsay – Sraman Chatterjee & Meghla Dasgupta
- Duration: 108 mins.
- Country – India
- Languages – Bengali, English
- Editor – Meghla Dasgupta & Sraman Chatterjee
Synopsis – In the summer of 2022, four young actors converge at the historic Tapan Theatre nestled in Sadananda Road, Kolkata, to film a play featuring a man and an empty chair. This decaying playhouse, once on the brink of demolition by real estate forces during the tumultuous COVID years, held within its walls the power to birth a new narrative. The intervention of a passionate theater group, Aneek Kolkata, coupled with the resilience of the playhouse staff, helped Tapan escape the inevitable doom through a long and arduous battle. 2022 marks the transformation of Tapan Theatre from a forgotten relic into one of Kolkata’s thriving cultural hubs, a truly resurrected stage. Hearsay tries to weave the boundless expanse of imagination within this rejuvenated space, serving as an immersive installation of imaginations. The actors explore memories, rumors, untold stories and the resilient spirit that enabled Tapan Theatre to endure and rise again.
- I’m Not Home – Naveen Pun
- Duration: 148 mins.
- Country – India
- Languages – Bhojpuri, English, Hindi
- Editor – Abhro Banerjee
Synopsis – In the 1990s, Shau was part of the Mumbai Mafia, living life as a free wheeler. From handling guns to extortions, he had done it all. But as time passed, the influence of the mafia waned. Many perished, many changed their path but Shau lived on with the shelter of the stories of his past. Perhaps Shau, the man with an unbeatable heart, was too much of a winner to let himself be confined to the mainstream. Now 38, he lives like a nomad on a railway platform. Although his physical stature has shrunk, his attitude still flaunts the carefreeness. But as age sets in, he regrets not keeping in touch with his family and his love. With this desperation he boards a train. Will he find them? Will they remember him? The film unfolds the journey of a man’s struggle from life of freedom to that of a mainstream.
- Where is My Home? – Digvijay Thorat & Ashwini Dharmale.
- Duration: 60 mins.
- Country – India
- Languages – Marathi
- Editor – Abhijeet Sable
Synopsis – The film follows the journey of a granddaughter as she navigates the challenges faced by her elderly grandmother, who is neglected due to her age and behaviour. Despite initial resistance from her mother, the granddaughter takes it upon herself to arrange a cataract operation for her grandmother. As the grandmother’s condition improves, the family dynamics undergo a transformation, with even the mother softening her stance. However, the grandmother’s unsettled status persists as she moves between her daughter’s and son’s homes, never finding a permanent place to call her own. Through this narrative, the film sheds light on the struggles of elderly individuals, particularly women, who find themselves in vulnerable situations, lacking agency and stability in their twilight years. Themes of family, responsibility, and the complexities of caregiving are explored, offering a poignant reflection on the human experience.
- Rukhu Matir Dukhu Majhi – Somnath Mondal
- Duration: 28 mins.
- Country – India
- Language – Bengali
Synopsis – This documentary is regarding the relentless struggle of a solitary man in his unique way to save the mother earth. The old man. Armed daily with two canisters of water, sacks, shovels, burnt wood & saplings, all mounted on a cycle, a poor, completely-illiterate old villager spends his years planting trees at roadsides, school premises, & wherever else he can; and taking proper care of them. Dukhu Majhi lives in an area where the temperature rises up to 50 degrees Celsius in the summer. He feels that people need shadows also from the scorching sun. Over the years, Dukhu Majhi has perfected his own unique method of preparation, plantation, & nurturing. To ensure that no passer-by dares touch them, he covers his newly-planted saplings with cloth taken from the nearby crematorium. This poor and completely illiterate man has a strong philosophy – that too is very interesting.
