1,800 film buffs meet under the auspices of the Ashay Film Club

1,800 film buffs meet under the auspices of the Ashay Film Club to watch quality world cinema that is not screened in regular theatres

Listening to the soft, controlled voice of Satish Jakatdar (54) as he speaks about the Ashay Film Club, one realises that films are the abiding passion in his life. "Initially it was love for films, which turned to a passion and later into a mission for good cinema," he says.

He formed the film club in 1985, when he was with Granthali, a publication movement. He collaborated with some like-minded friends to create a platform where hardcore film buffs could watch quality international cinema that did not, for various reasons, find space in local theatres. He recalls, "We began to screen the films we wanted to watch at the amphitheatres of different colleges in Pune."

By formally starting Ashay Film Club, they brought the world cinema within the reach of film lovers of Pune. They started regular events in the city to screen films.

Festivals
The club now hosts events like the Asian Film Festival and Pulotsav. They also felicitate prominent film personalities every year during the festival. They have handed awards to cinema greats like Aparna Sen, Majid Majidi and Yash Chopra. Pulotsav is when Ashay Film Club gives the P L Memorial Award. Recipients include Girish Karnad, Lata Mangeshkar and Vijaya Mehta. They also organise Film Appreciation Courses at the National Film Archives of India (NFAI) and stock books related to films. In the last 10 years, the membership has gone up to 1,800. They hold monthly meetings at Path Finder, a bookstore in Sadashiv Peth. The movies are screened at the Archive theatre.

Members
"It's been seven to eight years since I joined Ashay Film Club and the experience has been really good," said Milind Bhange (37), a camera man, and film editor.

Another member, a librarian who has been with the club for 15 years, Prasad Bhadasabale, said, "No club arranges as many programmes as Ashay Film Club. It's not only about films, but also about the books related to films. The Asia Film Festival is always a great experience because we get to see lots of Iranian and Sri Lankan movies. Most of the time, the CDs are not even available." He added, "Many curious youngsters join in because we screen different movies."