16^th Third Eye Asian Film Festival: II

Prominent writer-journalist, late Arun Sadhu, winner of the Sahitya Akademi Award, was honoured posthumously at the inaugural function of the 16^th Third Eye Asian Film Festival (TEAFF), on 21 December, at the Ravindra Natya Mandir Mini Auditorium. Sadhu, who wrote mainly in Marathi but also penned works in English and Hindi, passed away in Mumbai three months ago, aged 76. At the ceremony, he was represented by his wife Aruna and daughter Shefali. Kiran Shantaram, Chairman of the Asian Film Foundation, presided over the ceremony, while the director of the Festival, Sudhir Nandgaonkar, conducted the proceedings.

The litterateur was a befitting choice, because TEAFF’s inaugural film, Ziprya (Marathi), which was screened a few minutes later, is based on an Arun Sadhu novel. Sadhu had spent a lot of time at Mumbai’s Kurla station, talking to the shoe-shine boys, and Ziprya is about their lives. Among Sadhu’s well-known works, Simhasan (Throne) tops the list, along with Mumbai Dinank (his first novel, 1973), and the two were blended into one Marathi film, titled Simhasan, by Jabbar Patel, in 1979. He also co-scripted the film on life and works of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar (2000) and independently wrote Yashwantrao Chavan – Bakhar Eka Vaadalaachi (2014). Both films were directed by Dr. Jabbar Patel.

Sadhu’s other written works include Fidel Castro, Che Ani Kranti (on Che Guevara), Dragan Jaga Jhalyawar, Mukhawata, Shodhyatra, Bahishkrut, Trishanku and Tisri Kranti. Most of his writing dwelt with socio-political issues and corruption. For his impressive body of work, he was given India’s most coveted literary recognition, the Sahitya Akademi Award. Sadhu also served as professor and Head of the Department of Communication and Journalism at Pune University.

Kedar Vaidya, who wrote the cinematic adaptation of and directed Ziprya, narrated how he managed to convince Sadhu to part with the film rights of this book, which was written a long time ago. Several film-makers had approached Sadhu, but he was not convinced about their ability to do justice to the story. When Vaidya went to him, he was asked to write a synopsis, after reading which Sadhu was convinced, and agreed to the deal. Also present on the occasion were the producers of the film Ashwini and Ranjit Darekar, actress Amruta Subhash, who plays a key role, and the bunch of teenage boys who are at the centre of the story.

TEAFF is organised by the Asian Film Foundation and P.L. Deshpande Maharashtra Kala Academy, and co-organised by Prabhat Chitra Mandal and Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Chitrapat Mahamandal and is supported by Department of Culture, Government of Maharashtra.