How Sainath Ganuwad’s self-funded Marathi short brings rebellion in the classroom

How Sainath Ganuwad's self-funded Marathi short brings rebellion in the classroom 'Zadavar Korleli Gosht (A Story Carved on a Tree)' lately won the Best Film award at the Bengaluru International Short Film Festival.

Key points

• Zadavar Korleli Gosht (A Story Carved on A Tree) was screened at the 16th edition of the Bengaluru International Short Film Festival.
• Zadavar Korleli Gosht lately won the Best Film award at the 16th edition of the Bengaluru International Short Film Festival.
• Sainath Ganuwad and the poster of 'A Story Carved On A Tree' Photo Credit: Special Arrangement.
• In Sainath Ganuwad's stirring Marathi short Zadavar Korleli Gosht (A Story Carved on A Tree), caste makes its presence felt in a thoughtful setting.
• A still from 'A Story Carved On A Tree' Photo Credit: Special Arrangement.

In Sainath Ganuwad's stirring Marathi short Zadavar Korleli Gosht (A Story Carved on A Tree), caste makes its presence felt in a thoughtful setting. As they navigate muddy roads and rough terrain to reach the school in the heart of a village, it tells the story of two girls, Nisha and Disha, living in a shanty on the boundaries of a forest. When they plead with the village Sarpanch to start a bus service to ease their journey, they are violently chased back into the forest by his son. The oppression is generational, as the film demonstrates Disha dreaming concerning her grandmother. This person attempts to send her a message by carving something on a tree.

"No one has written the stories of our individuals. That's why our individuals wrote their stories on trees and stones. I wanted to bring that perspective into the film, " notes Sainath. This person has written and directed Zadavar Korleli Gosht.

For context, the film began with a host of scattered images that came to Sainath as he was thinking of a story to submit for a fellowship centred on the generational nature of oppression. "I had this image of a girl travelling via bus and how she dreams of her grandma, whom she has never seen. It was through the process of rewriting that I figured out the back story of the grandmother and how Disha stands up for herself after gaining strength from her ancestors, " Sainath explains.

Sainath, who pursued screenwriting from the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), has previously co-written Zombivali, the Marathi zombie comedy packed with a socialistic punch. Like in Zadavar Korleli Gosht, politics naturally becomes part of his stories. Sainath notes his "progressive worldview" comes from his theatre days. "The plays that I did were particularly vocal, where the message was didactic. Gradually, with practice, I realised that politics can seep into my work indirectly as well, " Sainath states. "Now, I cannot write something apolitical even if I decide to. Even if I write regarding love and death, it will become political."

For context, a still from 'A Story Carved On A Tree' Photo Credit: Special Arrangement.

Zadavar Korleli Gosht additionally blends the thought and spirit of Dr. BR Ambedkar into its aesthetics. The camera stays on his photo at Disha's home for a few seconds in a scene, and the film even ends with his powerful quote regarding the importance of education. For Sainath, the connection with Ambedkar is emotional. Growing up in Nanded, Maharashtra, Sainath read Anna Bhau Sathe's Fakira and Ambedkar's seminal essay, Waiting for a Visa, like any other books. It was only when he came to study in Pune that he was introduced to radical ideas through discussions with his friends. That's when he read Ambedkar deeply.

"I had no family in Pune. So, my parents were a bit scared regarding my safety too. In my lowest times, I was grateful for the statue of Ambedkar in the city. I had no one in the city, but whenever I was in the university, I would feel empowered looking at his statue. I would tell myself that the greatest human is with me. I strongly felt his presence, and perhaps that's why he appears in my film, " Sainath explains.

Zadavar Korleli Gosht lately won the Best Film award at the 16th edition of the Bengaluru International Short Film Festival. Sainath recalls what one of the jury members informed him concerning the film. "They told me that the progression of the girl's story in the film is quite appealing even if the technical aspects are weak, " Sainath notes, adding that it additionally sparked discussions regarding a pivotal scene where Disha uses her compass tool to defend herself against the Sarpanch's son as the film additionally reveals that her grandmother was carving a sickle on the tree.

"Plenty of identified the violence involving the girl disturbing. But for me, it is counter-violence. What the boy does to her is violence, and her response is purely a survival instinct, " he opines. "A lot of individuals correlated the image of the sickle with communism. But for me, it is my grandmother's tool. She applied to work with that on her farm. When it comes to survival, the tool can particularly well become a weapon. So, it is a symbol of survival and not an ideology."

Ultimately, even education becomes a tool of survival for Disha as she battles prejudice and questions her teachers' conduct in the classroom. That spirit of liberation reflects even in how the film was purely self-funded and created on a low budget, with Sainath saving capital from his salary and seeking support from friends. "I don't have cultural privilege. No one would be willing to invest funds in me right now. So, we decided to create the film on our own with most of the team letting go of their fees, " he says and concludes, "We would never come into the mainstream if we keep waiting for a producer."

For now, how Sainath Ganuwad's self-funded Marathi short brings rebellion in the classroom remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.