Short film ‘... Kissa Topi Ka’ has message for voters

Bhanu P Lohumi

Tribune News Service

Shimla, August 23

Film-maker Vivek Mohan has come out with a crisp short film “Kissa Kursi Ka, Kissa Topi Ka” to send an important message to the electorate for the forthcoming Assembly poll that leadership is determined by principles, public conduct and ideology and not colour of the cap one wears.

Traditional Himachali topis have over the years assumed political significance in the state where mainstream parties — the Congress and the BJP — are identified with different colours of caps. Political alignment of an individual, particularly during the election rallies, is reflected by the colour of the band on the round cap. A green band is an unmistakable indication of the Congress leaning, while a maroon coloured band is a pointer to pro-BJP tilt.

After Virbhadra Singh became the Chief Minister for the first time in 1983, the green Bushari caps became a symbol of the party in power. People wore green caps to show their allegiance to the Chief Minister. However, later with the change in the government, the green caps were replaced by red Kullu caps identified with Prem Kumar Dhumal and the BJP. Sadly, in the topi race, the original famous multi-coloured Himachali Kullu cap went into the background.

National awardee film maker Vivek Mohan depicted this segregation of colours creating a divide between upper and lower Himachal in his 1.58-minute short film, “Kissa Kursi Ka, Kissa Topi ka” shot with an iPhone.

The short film starts with caps changing place on a “kursi” (chair) signifying change in governments and struggle to occupy the chair has come at an appropriate time when the Assembly elections are round the corner and the last Assembly session is from August 22. The film has been uploaded on Youtube and released online.

Vivek has made an attempt to impress that it is the public conduct and principle that makes a leader and not the caps and jackets. The film also shows a glimpse of statue of Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi and Founder of Himachal Dr YS Parmar without caps, both situated on The Ridge to drive home his point.

The high court had ordered that all roofs be painted in red or green but the divide is so sharp that the people are painting even their roofs red and green as per their loyalties towards the political parties.

When the Congress came to power, green caps got prominence and maroon caps replaced these during the BJP rule. What would be the colour of the cap in case some third leader emerges on the political horizon, is the question that Vivek has thrown up.