The two-day International Film Festival held at the Auditorium of the Mata Vaishno Devi Spiritual Growth Centre in Katra, Jammu, reached its conclusion on Monday. The festival showcased an array of films from diverse genres and regions, drawing the attention of both national and international film personalities. The closing day of the event was marked by an Award Ceremony attended by esteemed guests, including actors Preeti Sapru, Yashpal Sharma, Suman Talwar, Vijay Varma, and filmmaker Mohmad Rasheed from the Maldives.
The spotlight of the ceremony shone brightly on the creators of the Gojri film titled ‘YE RODIYA’ (the untold apathy), which delves into the hardships faced by the Bakerwals, a tribal community in Jammu and Kashmir. Despite the unique aspect that none of the film’s crew members, including actors, director of photography, music director, producer, or director, spoke or were familiar with the Gojri language, their dedication and skill in bringing the story to life on the silver screen were undeniable.
The film’s director, Sachin Dhar, was recognized and awarded for his exceptional vision and its effective translation onto the big screen during this edition of the International Film Festival of Jammu and Kashmir (IFFJK) in Katra. Remarkably, this marks the third time ‘Ye Rodiya’ has been awarded within India.
Sanjay K Raina, the film’s producer, commended the entire team behind ‘Ye Rodiya,’ particularly Director Sachin Dhar, for their tireless efforts in elevating the film to its current stature. Raina announced the production of another short film intended for upcoming international film festivals in the following months, along with plans to submit ‘Ye Rodiya’ to film festivals abroad.
Sachin Dhar, who has previously received awards for his work in feature and short films at the Jammu and Kashmir International Film Festival (JKIFF) in Pune and the Jammu Film Festival (JFF), expressed gratitude for his team’s dedication. He emphasized that a director’s vision is realized when the cast and crew successfully translate that vision onto the silver screen.
The ensemble of ‘Ye RODIYA’ features talented actors including Ritu Mehra, Anjana Mishra, Sunil Koul, Balwinder Singh, Manoj Bhat, Ayan Ali, Pankaj Handu, and Ulfat Haroon. The film was also supported by dubbing artists Sunny Mujoo, Nazuk Bhagat, and Sonia Pandita, makeup artist Arshad Nawshehri, and sets by Virender Sumbly. The screenplay was penned by Parvez Malik and Sachin Dhar, with music composed by Rajesh Khar. The post-production aspects were overseen by Prayag Films, with dubbing and special effects by Kongposh Audio Studio. The director of photography was Sameer Pratap Sharma, and editing was done by Mohit Garg. The film’s production was helmed by Sanjay K. Raina, while Sachin Dhar served as the director.
Sachin Dhar, upon receiving the Best Director award, expressed his gratitude towards producer Sanjay Raina, the jury for recognizing his vision, and the festival organizers, the United Film Makers Council (Karnataka), and Harman Education and Cultural Society. He also urged future festival organizers to curate events that spotlight art cinema and experimental works, preserving the essence of such gatherings.
