Pune: In order to give exposure to the artistes of the Jhadipatti art form performed in four districts of Maharashtra, Gadchiroli, Gondiya, Bhandara and Chandrapur, a screen acting course for 14 selected artistes has been started at Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) in collaboration with Babasaheb Ambedkar Research and Training Institute (BARTI).
The participants not only want to take advantage of the exposure they are getting here, but want to take what they are learning back to their village, so that they can help improvise their art form.
The 20-day course will help the participants expand their talent, while at the same time, it will help promote the art form to the other parts of Maharashtra. More such courses in other areas of filmmaking will also be organised for the Jhadipatti artistes in future.
Speaking about the initiative, Rupali Awale, Project Director, Skill Development, BARTI, said, “The course has been designed specially for the youngsters performing the art form of Jhadipatti in the said districts. These people are performing the art form for years now. However, their skills are limited to that alone. They don’t understand things related to camera, screen acting, etc. Hence, if they receive more technical guidance, it will give them better scope, to work even in TV series or films, and will also be able to take their art form to a wider audience across the State. The additional skills will also help them enhance the work of social awareness that they are carrying out through Jhadipatti already.”
An advertisement for the course was put out in the region and a number of interested candidates responded. 14 participants were selected after an audition.
Jugal Ganvir, a Jhadipatti artiste from Chandrapur, said, “Back in our village, we Jhadipatti artistes felt that we were heroes. After coming here, on the first day itself, we realised that there is so much that we don’t know, and there is so much that we are yet to learn. Not just what our course director teaches us, but the whole ambience and process of learning has so much to teach us. I wish to take the knowledge back to my fellow Jhadipatti artistes and I am sure that it will not only help me promote the art across the State, but also outside the State.”
The course was inaugurated by Bhupendra Kainthola, Director, FTII, in the presence of RN Pathak, Dean (TV), Rupali Awale, BARTI, and Sayali Khare, Course Director (FTII, Acting, 2006).
Under the agreement, 20-day courses in screen acting, digital cinematography, screenplay writing and writing for TV fiction will be conducted at FTII campus. A 10-day course in smartphone filmmaking will also be covered under the agreement.
“This acting course is special, as it formally opens the doors of opportunity in the world of cinema and television to people from the disadvantaged areas and underprivileged social groups of Maharashtra. FTII and BARTI have jointly selected the course participants. Staying in the creative and state-of-the-art ecosystem of FTII campus can catalyse their creative talent and in the years to come see film makers, actors and screen writers emerge from the region,” Kainthola said.
Arpit Lakhani from Bhandara, who wants to pursue a career in acting, said that this course is giving a great deal of exposure to the youngsters coming from the backward areas of the State.
“I acted in school plays when I was young, I have always cherished the dream to be a successful actor some day. Here, we are being taught how to act in front of a camera, we are also promised that we will be interacting with actors, who are already making a mark in the industry. After graduation, I plan to answer entrance examination for post-graduation courses at FTII,” Lakhani said.
