Journalism of Courage
Actors of the Marathi film Aarohi talk about the negative effect of fame on child artistes,also the premise of the film
As the lights narrow down on to the centrestage,the suave voice of the anchor takes over to announce the results of a reality television singing show. As soon as the winner’s name is announced,a teenage girl cups her mouth in false celebration. The scene is complete; the director yells ‘cut’. The actors on stage breathe a sigh of relief,and begin preparing for the final shot of the film. While this might sound unnerving to most,it’s really just another day at work for the actors of Marathi film Aarohi,the climax of which was shot in the city on Tuesday.
Shot over a period of just a month,producer Amruta Rao describes the film as a mix of a lighthearted and a serious one. Parents and even children keep pushing the boundaries of their sensibilities when it comes to these reality shows. What happens in the process of this aggressive promotion is that the children grow up too quickly. And while technically they still cannot distinguish between people who really want their happiness or are trying to con them,it does impact them a lot psychologically. This is what we are trying to showcase through the film, says Rao.
The twist in the film comes when the daughter,played by Ketki Mategaokar,suffers from a paralysis attack,and how her world comes crashing down. Adding to that,the recession forces her father,played by Karmarkar,to sidetrack the family and his daughter,and concentrate more on saving his job. How all these events lead up to the climax of the film is what will keep the audiences glued to their seats,feels actress Mrunal Kulkarni,who plays Ketki’s mother in the film.
As far as relating to the character is concerned,it struck a chord with my own personal tryst with a reality show that I had participated in. And even though I didn’t make it to the end on that show,I knew exactly how life was for all the other young singers like me. That,coupled with all the inputs from Mrunal and Kiran,were instrumental in helping me act my scenes out with ease, says Mategaokar.
Karmarkar feels that it is a coming of age film. He says,For me as a parent in the film,it is about getting rid of our own mental paralysis,regarding pushing our daughter and in the process making her lose out on simple joys in life. For Ketki,on the other hand,it is about overcoming her physical paralysis and rising up again after having been written off,by critics and everyone else. Moreover it’ll actually let parents pause and take a step back to focus on the realities of reality television and the mental impact it has on their children.
Slated for a mid-September release,Kulkarni hopes that the film will impact the audiences,especially children. It would be really nice if the film could be shown at schools. Since it deals with the life and aspirations of young child artistes and their parents,I hope it strikes a chord with the audience, she says.
