Follow a 10-year-old cupid’s awry love story

With minimal sounds, atypical camera angles and little focus on the plot, short film Khargosh directed by Paresh Kamdar still manages to create an experience that will stay with you long after you've left the auditorium

Follow a 10-year-old cupid's awry love story

Setting out to make a film that was not story or plot-dependent, Paresh Kamdar began his search for a story that would aesthetically entertain the audience. He soon stumbled upon Khargosh, a story penned by Hindi author Priyamvad, which he found ideal for his movie.

Still from Khargosh

Khargosh focuses on the erotic awakening of a 10-year-old boy, Bantu, who plays cupid to his teenage friend and his lover. "When I read the story I realised this is it. This was an experience most of us go through while growing up. I felt the simple story would be perfect to evoke feelings and emotions through the medium of cinema," said Kamdar, whose earlier film, Tunnu ki Tina, was also highly appreciated. To create that visual experience, detailed attention was paid to colours, frames and compositions. "We tried to evolve a grammar which we thought is right for the film," added Kamdar. They decided to forego conventional dramatic story-telling. "Only a few colours have been used throughout the film and to ensure that, we even painted trees and the streets," admits Kamdar. There are no eye-level shots and not a single shot or frame has been repeated.

There is always discontinuity between two shots and minimal sounds have been used throughout the film. "I have tried to work with silence to evoke the acute experience the 10-year-old was going through," explained Kamdar.

The film explores Bantu's relationship with the girl and his increasing attraction to her. He only reaches her tummy and her soft breathing belly becomes irresistible to him. "The way Bantu experiences the girl's presence and absence is conveyed through sounds and visuals. It is not the event but the experience of the event which is important," stated the filmmaker.

The making of the film has an interesting story behind it. Kamdar, a teacher at Whistling Woods, was approached by one of his students to make the film. "My student Rishi Chandra came to me and said he had decided to give two years to cinema. He had already spent one year studying film so he had just one year left.

He told me to make a film of my choice and said that he would finance it, but the film should be completed in a year. Khargosh was completed in exactly a year's time," Kamdar reminisces.

Khargosh premiered at the Osian's Cinefan Film Festival, New Delhi in October 2009 and the response received was "overwhelming". "After the screening of the film, we had a repeat at 11.30 pm by public demand," added Kamdar. The film premieres in Mumbai this Friday.

On Friday, 6.30 pm
At NCPA, NCPA Marg, Nariman Point. CALL 66548135 / 66223724
Entry Free, admission on a first-come-first-serve basis