France: There is a new wave of Indians winning prestigious awards in International film festivals, and it’s an achievement worthy of standing ovations. Passionate producer-director Neeru Khera and Amit Khanna’s short film An Untold story of Paperboats won at the Nice International Film Festival (France). Not only was it the only Indian film to be nominated, it also beat 5 lakh other submissions in its race to winning under the Best Foreign Language Short Film category.
The Creative Gypsy’s Neeru and Naveen Khera were very influenced by the story and immediately decided to produce this bold film.They remember their first interaction with Khanna, “Amit narrated the script to us and it really touched our heart. Both of us wanted to make it immediately.”
And they’re ecstatic beyond belief over winning the award. And rightfully so! This film was nominated in 4 categories – Best Short Film in Foreign Language, Darshan Gurjar for Best Lead Actor, Shreya Rawat for Best Lead Actress & Gunjan Srivastava for Best Sound Design
In between smiles they say, “No ambitious project is without roadblocks. But we pulled through because all of us collectively believed that the world needed to see this story. We’re so thankful that stories like these are being watched and appreciated world over. We’re proud to have won as Indians and as meaningful storytellers.”
Khanna explains the premise of the film. “Many kids get abducted by the Naxalites at a very early age. One day they’re gleefully walking to school, the other day they’re handed a gun. And their entire life spins on its axis towards a very gruesome reality. This story is portrayed through the life of a young boy.”
An Untold Story of Paperboats is a peek into the cruel world of child soldiery and terrorism. A young school boy (played by Darshan Gurjar) gets brainwashed by the naxals and his life changes for the worst. It has been shot featuring 200 village kids in Bahadurgarh, Haryana, over just three days.
This story is worth your time because all of us need to know the terror these young kids are subjected to. We need to know how these lives are affected and only if we know will we be able to bring a change.
Watch the trailer here:
