It Has A Life: Indie filmmaker struggles for screening venues, seeks President’s acknowledgment

New Delhi: Independent cinema is often celebrated by viewers, but the rigorous journey that such filmmakers undertake is often overlooked. At times, these films struggle to secure proper platforms or screenings to reach wider audiences. One such story is It Has A Life, directed by Saurav Mookherji, which portrays the inspiring journey of a tribal woman whose resilience and determination serve as a beacon of hope and empowerment for many in her community.

When asked about his experience of making and promoting the documentary, Saurav shared the challenges he faced and expressed his hopes of securing venues for screenings. He also plans to meet President Droupadi Murmu to seek acknowledgment for his work.

Independent filmmaking landscape in India

Q: How did the idea for It Has a Life originate?
A: On her work trip to Salboni in the year 2021, my teammate and colleague Antara first met Bijali Murmu standing near the railway station. She approached her for a ride and then she became friends with her through her 2 years time there in Salboni. One day she called me and told me about Bijali Di’s story which instantly touched me and I decided to travel to Salboni and meet her in person. The first day of my arrival in Salboni marks the first day of shooting for our cinema It Has a Life.

Q: What impact do you hope to create through Bijali Murmu’s story?
A: We believe that Bijali Murmu’s one-of-a-kind resilience and ambition will encourage more women, especially those who belong to marginalised communities, to come forward from their social bondage and create a life that is not just impactful, but also defines who they are.

Q: What challenges did you face throughout the filmmaking process?
A: Well, in this part of the world, independent filmmaking is suffering. Considering the budget, the locations and the technical support, it has been hard for me as an independent filmmaker to implement advanced technologies. We have dealt with enormous challenges which include the incorporation of natural lights, unprecedented climatic occurrences and insufficiency of helping hands on the ground. Here, I have tried to adhere to the Guerrilla technique of filmmaking which I have been doing with all my previous projects.

Q: As an independent filmmaker, what difficulties are you encountering while promoting the documentary?
A: Independent filmmaking as a task has never been easy. In essence, I am not here to entertain – I am here to make cinema that resonates, that challenges, that inspires. Unfortunately, in this part of the world where cinema is largely considered a mode of entertainment, promoting a story that doesn’t fit into the definition, it becomes very difficult to find even a screen to showcase the cinema. We have been to cultural institutions, academies and universities for a scope of film screenings and still waiting for any confirmation. The process has been rigorous, and tiring but worth trying for. We hope Bijoli Di’s story, if given a chance to have more screenings, will surely make a lasting impact on audiences who come from every sphere of life.

Q: What are your plans next?
A: We have been in Delhi now for the past 3 weeks in search of a scope to get our cinema to a larger audience. We hope in the coming days we will be able to get the cinema screened at a few Universities and of course, we have also tried to reach out to the President of India for a screening.

Q: What kind of response have you received following the premiere of It Has a Life?
A: Two Bengali women travelled from Alwar to Jaipur to watch a Bengali Cinema at the Jaipur International Film Festival. They ended up being at our premiere and their eyes full of tears and shaken hands made our journey so far absolutely worthwhile. There were other filmmakers from around the Globe who enjoyed watching the cinema and shared their thoughts on the same.

Q: What message do you plan to convey to the President?
A: Our Team believes that the impact of the film can be far-reaching, not only in terms of encouraging women to take charge of their own destinies but also in setting a precedent for more such films to be made in India. We believe Madam President’s acknowledgment would be instrumental in encouraging the community women to come forward and make a life of their own and would also encourage other filmmakers in India to focus on stories that highlight the strength and courage of women. Such stories, we believe, are essential to the future of Indian cinema, as they offer authentic narratives that represent the diverse social fabric of our country.