What’s in a name?

Direction was never an after thought. In fact,everything Mazhar Kamran did before taking charge as the ‘captain of the ship’ was towards direction. Be it as a cinematographer for Ramu’s Satya and Kaun,documenting short films for teleserials like Turning Point,making a bio-pic on the life of writer Qurratulain Hyder,every move was well orchestrated. “I’ve always wanted to direct,” says the first-time feature filmmaker who’s picked quite an odd,yet interesting subject for his debut film Mohandas – identity,and its theft. In western countries,it’s spread is almost virulent,but in India,Kamran and his friend-writer of many years,Uday Prakash,travel to the interiors of the sub-continent and narrate the story of one Mohandas whose identity has been snatched and being used by someone else. “After being selected for a top job at the local coal mine,Mohandas is shocked to see that someone is working under his name. The idea is based on a real life occurrence which a close friend narrated to me on one of his visits to MP in 2005,” says Kamran whose got Sushant Singh to play the ‘thief’, Sonali Kulkarni as a journalist who tracks the case,and Nakul Vaid as Mohandas. The two hour-long film is India’s official representation at the International Film Festival of Innsbruck,Austria,and has garnered encouraging reviews at six other festivals including the Kolkata film festival in 2008.

“An idea has to intrigue and touch. With Mohandas,I’m trying to tell an honest story and reach the masses,” Kamran insists that it’s not a elite or niche film. That it has made waves on the festival circuit is not important. “I’ve treated it as a feature film,complete with drama and songs,for I feel that’s what Indian cinema stands for. There are filmmakers who cut songs,and other parts just to fit into a festival…how can we ignore something so intrinsic to our culture. Our cinema has always been rich in poetry,in tradition,in storytelling,so why let go of it?” he questions.

On a closer introspection,Mohandas touches on many issues. To what absurd levels can we push our democratic system is one. It’s layered,and Kamran feels audiences will enjoy the film for inspite on an undercurrent of irony,there’s satire,and a melee of interesting characters,particularly from the rural landscape. There’s another layer – the name Mohandas. “Subliminally,it connects to Gandhi’s sense of priorities. Cinema nowadays doesn’t concern itself with the rural India,the small towns,the interiors,and this India was Gandhi’s India,and its people,his people,” he points to the ‘Gandhian’ thought process central to the film. “Let the people discover it for themselves,” he hopes. The film releases on July 10.