"An empty stomach doesn't sing hymns"

Dear Family

We wish to share with you our experience of the shoot that happened in the previous two days. This was a very important segment for "The Girl". From the last several months, planning for it was going on. And with the support of appropriate team members, our plan reached perfection. We had to focus on two scenes for which there were more than 400 people involved. This hard task was what our team had to manage and we did that.

Highlights : 

• The shoot was for two music and death sequences for the film.
• All the sound equipment are rented from Kolkata. 
• After the Equipment arrived at Location we have only 41 hours including Night.
• The team of thegirl worked almost 30 hours to uses a maximum of equipment.
• More than four hundred people participated in this shoot.
• In this shoot, we totaly avoid the use of plastic.
• on the first day, while we were shooting for Launda dance, They were performed Dance more than five hours for our Shoot.
• we arranged a launch and breakfast for all the artiest as gratitude and we paid a minimum of their fee what we can afford.
• People from maximum thirty-three kilometre came to see our shoot.
• The Total budget for this two days shoot including crew members travels expenses and rent of Sound equipment are fourteen thousand.   

Surprisingly, this also was the first time that people from neighbouring and distant villages had come to see the shoot. Those who stay near, they were at the location at 5 in the morning. Our shoot actually began at 10 but they waited with eagerness for all this while. Some folks even came from the city. Maybe that's the power of a community. To attract like-minded and build relationships based on faith.

The sound department was under Kolkata's Pallav Mitra who was our sound engineer. To rent the necessary sound equipment was not getting possible because it was available anywhere around us. For that, we also needed a huge financial backup which we didn't have. Both these problems came to an end when we arranged money from here and there and Pallav got the equipment all the way from Kolkata to our village in SItamarhi. This shoot was very important and to delay it was not the solution. With 5000 rupees in our pocket, we had the courage to proceed and told Pallav and Ayush to come as early as possible. The equipment was to be used for a musical sequence and for that we wanted the best quality sound. Ayush came to add his skills in the cinematography department.

On 21 Oct, Pallav and Ayush came to the location. Our biggest concern then was to make the maximum use of their skills along with the equipment. So on that night itself, we beta-tested the sound part while being a participant of the "Kirtan" which is done during death rituals.

We had the whole day of 22 Oct and half of 23rd. In total, we had approximately 41 hours and the team of "The Girl" worked for 30 hours. To sustain ourselves and pay full attention to our work was not an easy task. But what isn't possible when you have supportive souls around you? 

Some moments:

Kirtan is a unique musical form which is performed by old people on the Death Celebration: In this photo Aaryan and Palllav with Vyas Ji who is the leader of Kirtan teem

Sound Check

Preview of Scenes

Making of arthi for Death Rituals

Aaryan discussing a scene with the father of Saloni played by a villager

Aayush did wonderful cinematography

Aaryan in a shot while he was discussing a scene with villagers. Most of the time he takes the suggestion from Villagers for a scene. And he believes that the film can not be completed without co-direction of Villagers

A still from Luanda Dance

while they were ready for the shoot

Aayush discussing a scene with Aaryan

A still of Tabish And Aaryan. Aaryan said, "I remember the day when I called first time Tabish for this Project. He was in Bombay and working with Prithvi Theatre. I asked him if he can come to our location and do a workshop for our kids. We talked so much about the project and at the very first time he said he is ready to come. This was the beginning of thegirl. He came to our location by travelling for more than thirty-three hours in general bogi and done a three-round workshop. At that time we have more than twenty kids and after the workshop, we selected four of them.
And from that time Tabish is deeply involved with thegirl making. Tabish is actually our strength. And people like him proved that there is a scope of offbeat cinema. There is a space for community Cinema"

A Still

A Still

Aaryan with a kid who did the artiest management

Aaryan with our Sound Engineer Pallav

Aayush on the set of Luanda Dance

Maa and Soni didi done all the coocking things. We wanted to offer food to everyone who was involved with the shoot. Be it "Launda Naach" dance group or "Kirtan" group, we wanted them to remember us, our food and the time we spent together. For that, we called Soni Di from the city. "The food was very "Sattvic". That's what everyone said when they left. A community that works and eats together, stays together" 

Hrishav who captured all the BTS




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