Bringing untold stories to the forefront at the global platform, the Non-feature film category in the 55th International Film Festival of India opened with the Ladakhi-language Film, Ghar Jaisa Kuch, today at the festival. The filmmaker along with cast and crew interacted with the media in a press conference held by PIB at the 55th IFFI.
Ghar Jaisa Kuch is a short film directed by an independent director, Shri Harsh Sangani. This short film has managed to capture attention from all corners as a first film from Ladakh to open the Non-Fiction category in IFFI.
The film explores the perpetual conflict between a person’s will to adhere to his inherited traditions and pursuing his future aspirations. The film has depicted this struggle in a unique way, where the spirits of the protagonist’s parents play a pivotal role in shaping the narrative. The plot has captured the language, traditions and essence of the community from Ladakh in a visually and emotionally appealing way for its viewers.
Addressing the media in the press conference, the Director Harsh Sangani said that, “I always had the story within me, but it never materialised into reality until now. I resonated with the main character’s struggles of trying to find a home that once existed; as I also have experienced similar situations in my own life.”
The film poignantly captures the universal struggles of everyone, who leaves behind the familiarity of their hometowns towards an unknown city in search of newer & brighter prospects, only to grapple with a nostalgia for their home.
The director of the film further said, “we wanted to make the audience feel the yearning for a place that once held comfort and warmth for them, that’s why we felt the name Ghar Jaisa Kuch – Something like Home, will suit the film.”
Also present at the Press Conference, Shri Kabir Naik, Director of Photography of the film, expressed that, “as a cinematographer, shooting in such places like Ladakh was a dream. However, it also gets quite overwhelming as one always has to try extra hard to make the characters stand out in such a scenic place.”
