There's more to cinema than Bollywood: Nila Madhab Panda

We all dream. Some good, some bad. But there are certain dreams which we strive to realise.

My film is about those dreams, begins director Nila Madhab Panda, whose debut film I Am Kalam is all set for a worldwide release this August. After having won 12 international awards as well as the National Film Award for Best Child Artiste for Harsh Mayar, who plays the protagonist in the film, the movie has generated quite an interest among audience.

The film celebrates the survival of the human spirit against devastating odds and highlights the need for underprivileged children’s education. The story has not just been inspired from former president APJ Abdul Kalam’s life, but Nila’s life as well.

“I come from a small village in Orissa and the film has reflections of my childhood as well. It took several years of hard work before I reached this stage. This has a huge impact in my life and I wanted to change the society through my space — which is cinema,” explains Nila, who has over 70 documentaries to his credit.

On choosing Harsh, he says, “We auditioned nearly 1,000 students. But when Harsh walked in, there was an aura around him. He fitted in the role perfectly.” Interestingly, the film is being produced by Smile Foundation, an NGO that works for poor children.

“Distribution is a big game in India and I didn’t want a good story like this to be lost. Thankfully, I came across Smile, which works for underprivileged children. The team was glad to produce the film,” he informs.

Being a true believer of independent cinema, he says, “I believe that independent cinema is the right form of story-telling. Indian cinema is not just about Bollywood... it is also offbeat themes like these that put Indian cinema on the world map. Direction has become more like a clerical job... there are so many people who can manage different things. However, you are the master of the story and you should bring about a change.”

“I believed in my story and am glad to have received international recognition for it. I am hoping for a great response in India post the release of the film,” says Nila, who has already begun working on his next project which will be shot, starting this October.