Mukul Kapoor’s documentary Ankuran: The Art Of Idol Making is making the right noise at the festival circuit

Mona

Young filmmaker Mukul Kapoor wants to tell stories seeped in Indian culture. As his documentary Ankuran: The Art Of Idol Making is getting recognition in the festival circuit, this Chandigarh boy’s resolve is only getting stronger.

Mukul is currently pursuing a course in direction from Whistling Woods International, Mumbai. Passion for photography that started in school took a serious turn and this former St John’s student decided to pursue film direction.

“I got the knack of telling stories from my mother who is a painter and writer,” he says. For his love of Indian mythology, he credits his grandmother who told him stories during his childhood.

His first documentary Ankuran trails the idol makers in Pen, Maharashtra. “Last year I saw the Ganpati spectacle. It left me in awe of the tradition while also making me think about those idol makers who spend weeks perfecting their pieces that eventually end up in water.”

The search to find idol makers resulted in a 15-minute documentary. “It’s a beautiful cycle of life that the Ganpati festival stands for. Our culture is steeped in such symbolism.”

Shot with an iphone Ankuran got to be a part of four major film festivals. It was invited to the 10th Dada Saheb Phalke Film Festival-20 (official selection), 10th Pune Short Film Festival (official selection), Tagore International Film Festival (award winner) and Calcutta International Cult Film Festival (award winner) and Virgin Spring Cinefest (award winner).

“We recently released the film on YouTube and within a month, more than 35,000 people have seen it.” Encouraged by the happy beginning, Mukul intends to tell more stories based on Indian culture and tradition. “We shot the film with an iphone and came a long way. That strengthens my resolve that an artiste doesn’t need fancy equipment but only passion and dedication,” says Mukul, who found a great partner in Soham Banerjee who edited the film.