Circus of Reason

After bagging an award at Busan Film Festival,producer Vivek Oberoi and director Mangesh Hadavale plan a big release for Dekh Indian Circus in India

For director Mangesh Hadavale,it was the divide between India and Bharat that prompted him to make the film Dekh Indian Circus. “I live 20 days in Mumbai and 20 days in my village. While the facilities and resources in Mumbai make me feel like I live in India,the load-shedding,water issues and several other problems in the village make me feel like I am in Bharat.” However,for Vivek Oberoi,it was the simplicity and honesty of the subject that made him produce the film along with Mahaveer S Jain and Chirag D Shah under the banner Sundial Pictures. Little did the two know that the film would go on to win the Audience Choice Award at the Busan International Film Festival recently. “I felt honoured that I was a part of a film that was called India’s Life is Beautiful at Busan,” says Oberoi.

“We are looking at an early 2012 release,” says Oberoi. Hadavale was often asked to make his second film with Bollywood stars after his first film,Tingya,won the National Award. He stuck to his guns and made a film on his own terms. His attitude impressed Oberoi.

Dekh Indian Circus is a story of a couple living in a village. They struggle to fulfill the dream of educating their children. When a circus group visits the village,it helps the children escape into a fantasy world. Set in the present day Rajasthan,the film has Tannishta Chatterjee and Nawazudin Siddiqui in lead roles and Virendra Singh Rathod and Suhani Oza as the children. It was made with a budget of Rs 6 crore.

“There are very few films which can entertain as well as educate,” says Oberoi. Hadavale is glad that the win at Busan has opened doors for them at other international festivals,thereby making the film bigger than he thought it would ever be.