Bunty & Bhatti

For one-and-a-half years now,the animation wing at Mad Arts,Jaspal Bhatti’s film school in Mohali,has been buzzing with activity,giving final shape to a film script. The story of a six-minute film was penned by Jaspal Bhatti in half an hour,following which his son,Jasraj Singh Bhatti,got down to work . He created characters,designed sets and executed the project. The result: Bunty’s Tree,a silent film that says a million things about saving the environment. “The story is about the relationship between a little boy called Bunty and a tree in his garden,” says Bhatti Jr,who won laurels for his debut short animation film,Nanhi Chidiya.

Bunty’s Tree has also raked in many awards and nominations: winner of the Best Shorts Competition,Los Angeles in the animation category,nomination at CMS Vatavaran,India’s foremost environmental festival,and another nomination at Chitrakatha II,the animation festival of NID,Ahmedabad. Besides,it will be screened at the Jamestown Arts Center,Rhode Island (US),on November 1,at an evening of Indian films.

“We react quickly in religious or communal matters,but when it comes to something that’s really endangered — our planet — no one seems to bother,” says Jasraj. This is his third short film themed around environment,and Jasraj says that nothing else compares to the training ground that short filmmaking provides. “All you need is a camera and an idea,” says the budding filmmaker who,unlike his comedian father,finds his true calling in direction. “I love to create,imagine and manage a team,basically call the shots,” he says. Although he has serious films on agenda,he admits that he finds them tough as compared to humour,which comes naturally to him. “After all,I am my father’s son,” he says,admitting that he feels scared while creating humour that his father won’t laugh and that would be embarrasing.