It has trailed a blaze across film festivals worldwide, picking up awards in a manner not many films can match. Yet many will be surprised to know that the filmmaker behind the Marathi film, Court – which was declared the winner of the National Award for best feature film on Tuesday – has had no formal training in cinema and had to his credit just one short film, Six Strands, earlier.
Ecstatic at the honour, Chaitanya Tamhane, who was on his way to 'The Big Apple' for the New York Film Festival spoke to dna from Mumbai international airport, soon after completing immigration formalities. "We have got acclamations for Court where ever we took it. The awards and recognition have been overwhelming considering this is just my beginning," said and added, "The National Award however is very special; not just for me but the entire team, many of whom are first-timers."
As the first-ever Indian travelling to join the elite club of Steven Spielberg, Christopher Nolan and Richard Linklater with Court at the festival organised by the Museum of Modern Art and the Lincoln Center, one would expect him to be doing cartwheels and screaming with joy given that his phone has barely been off the hook since the National Award was announced. But he was composure personified, or at least that's what his voice suggested when speaking to dna. "I know every single of these awards and the honour of taking Court to New York in the category of 'new film director' is huge considering the stalwarts who have preceded me. It is not sinking in completely and feels surreal," says the 28-year-old who first thought of making Court in 2011. "My visits to courts in real life, the people there, the judges, lawyers everything seemed so different from anything I had seen in films. Those real stories were far more fascinating and I was gripped." He spent nearly three years researching cases like that of activist Binayak Sen and the cultural Kabir Kala Manch. "Whether it is their plight in face of state oppression or the apathy that system treats conservancy workers with, these have been my reference points for looking at the judicial system."
Painstakingly researched, the pre-production itself took nearly six months to complete. His experience with his short film, which was screened at several film festivals including Clermont-Ferrand, Slamdance, Edinburgh and Rotterdam of course, came handy while putting together Court, which focuses on flaws in the Indian judicial system and its tardy pace. Many, including internationally acclaimed British filmmaker Peter Webber who called it "a superlative tragic-comedy", at the 16th MAMI festival where a jury headed by him awarded Tamhane's film the Golden Gateway of India trophy for the best film in the international competition section.
Well-known Marathi film critic Amit Bhandari said Court and its achievements including the National Award only show how the journey which began with Shwaas (India's Oscar entry in 2004), Jogwa (2009), Fandry (2013), Killa (2014) and Elizabeth Ekadashi (2014). "Marathi, which is the cradle of Indian cinema, has not only broken free of the formulaic, but also shown that these projects can work with the masses. It has left even its big brother Bollywood far behind in marrying the experimental with commercial success."
Bhandari's words echo the sentiments of Tamhane. "I hope Court benefits from the acclaim-drawn attention at the box office when it releases on April 17th." dna, like many others, can only wish him the best.
Court has the honour being the most feted Indian film by far. It has won 17 international awards, including two Lions at the 71st Venice Film Festival and two Fédération Internationale de la Presse Cinématographique awards.
What's it about?
When a conservancy worker's dead body is found inside a Mumbai manhole, an ageing folk singer is arrested and faces a trial for abetting what the police call a 'suicide.' As trial of the accused charged with inflaming passions with his songs unfolds, the lives of the court staff, lawyers and the judge intemingle to make for gripping cinema.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}