For the First time ever, a Ladakhi Film “Ghar Jaisa Kuch” opens the non-Feature category in 55th IFFI

Goa:21 November 2024:Bringing untold stories to the forefront at the global platform, the Non-feature film category in the 55^th International Film Festival of India opened with the Ladakhi-language Film, Ghar Jaisa Kuch, today at the festival. The filmmaker along with the cast and crew interacted with the media in a press conference held by PIB at the 55^th IFFI.

Ghar Jaisa Kuch is a short film directed by an independent director, Shri Harsh Sangani. This short film captured attention from all corners as the 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 depicts 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, “I always had the story within me, but it never materialized into reality until now. I resonated with the main character’s struggles 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.”

Hoping to find an audience in Ladakh as well as the rest of the country, the Director noted that, “as we just finished making the film before entering it into the selection for IFFI, we didn’t get the chance to show the film to the viewers yet; but I hope to find an audience who will identify and resonate with the movie.”

The Non-feature film category, judged by eminent film personalities from across the country, had 262 films entries and 20 films were selected for the 55^th IFFI.

The non-feature film category in IFFI is dedicated to emerging as well as established filmmakers trying to showcase their works through documentaries and short films.

The film’s inclusion highlights the increasing prominence of regional cinema in India, particularly from underrepresented areas like Ladakh.