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Journalism of Courage
Director Nagraj Manjule talks about Pistulya,which has won three National Awards this year
Pistulya,winner of Best Debut Non-Feature Film award for direction and a Special Mention at the 58th National Awards,2010,could be considered an allegory on producer and director Nagraj Manjules own life. I have faced many struggles in my life to pursue my dreams,complete my education and build my career. But the film is not an autobiographical representation, says Nagraj Manjule,the producer and director of Pistulya.
The film revolves around a village in Maharashtra that is inhabited by Wadars,a nomadic community which does not accord education much importance. An eight-year-old boy struggles to educate himself in this difficult situation. The protagonist has to battle hunger,poverty and callous attitudes. As the great Mahatma Phule has said in his poems,ignorance and illiteracy are the root causes of all evil,corruption and crime. Even when the government passes a yojna,they do not implement it fully. A change in mindset
is needed before building schools in villages, says Manjule.
Suraj Pawar plays the protagonist in the film. The boy was spotted by Manjule when he went to visit a friend,who happens to be a teacher in a village. I noticed that Suraj had something special about him the moment my eyes fell upon him. I persuaded him to act in the film and he agreed. He is an orphan and is taken care of by his grandparents. They wanted him to do something worthwhile and believed that this was a good chance to get ahead in life, recounts Manjule.
Pawar won a National Award for his performance in Pistulya. Clearly,he has come a long way from running away from classes at the ashramshala in his village.
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