'Pistulya' wins debut short film award at 58th National film awards

Solapur-based Nagraj Manjule has won the Rajat Kamal and prize of Rs75,000 in the ‘best debut short film’ category for his film, Pistulya, at the 58th National film awards. The film is based on the life of an 8-year-old boy from the backward Wadar community who struggles to get himself educated. Manjule also belongs to this community.

The 15-minute film was shot in just two days, with the story, concept, script,  dialogue and direction coming from Manjule.
He told DNA, “Pistulya is the name of the boy who struggles along with his mother to earn his daily bread. I can connect with this story because I belong to this same samaj, which is not duly recognised in today’s India.”

About the unusual name of the movie, he said, “Actually we people are very scared of court and the police, and that is how our names are derived. People of our community have names like Fouzdarya, Vakilya and Pistulya and these are real names.”
The role of Pistulya, the main character in the film, is played by Suraj Pawar, who belongs to the Pardhi community from Ahmednagar.

A promo director with Zee Talkies in Mumbai, Manjule worked as chief assistant editor for the Marathi film, Bokya Satbande.