‘Baghi Di Dhee’ and its National award-winning Punjabi filmmaker Mukesh Gautam
“It does not matter how slowly you go
as long as you do not stop.” — Confucius
From docu-dramas on Sufi legends like Sheikh Farid, Bulleh Shah, Syed Mohammad Waris Shah to National Award-winning feature film ‘Baghi Di Dhee’, it has been quite a momentous journey for Punjabi filmmaker Mukesh Gautam. The one thing that has been a constant in his creative odyssey is the desire to pick up projects that are challenging and closely connected with Punjab’s rich heritage, culture and history.
At the 70th National Film Awards, his ‘Baghi Di Dhee’ won him the National Award for Best Punjabi Feature Film, which he dedicates to freedom fighters and Punjabi cinema. The making of the period film, that goes back in time to the Ghadar movement, he shares, was quite challenging. “The budget of Punjabi cinema,” he rues, “is always a constraint, especially when you are going against the current.”
He is happy that Punjabi movies are finding all kinds of audiences and have higher production value. But he beseeches successful producers of franchises like ‘Jatt and Juliet’ and ‘Carry on Jatta’ to spare both a thought and money for subjects that highlight our virsa. ‘Virsa’ incidentally is also the name of his popular series highlighting Sikh traditions, culture and prominent figures.
Recreating the period look of early 20th century for ‘Baghi Di Dhee’ was fraught with challenges. Fortunately, he found the right locales, including a bungalow dating back to 1914 in Chandigarh’s 50-km radius. The movie is a screen adaptation of a short story by Gurmukh Singh Musafir. The dialogues have been written by eminent theatreperson Pali Bhupinder. Gautam shares how it was Pali who introduced him to the fascinating tale of this 14-year-old revolutionary. The cast, including actors like Dilnoor Angel, Vikram Chouhan and Kuljinder Singh Sidhu, has come in for fulsome praise.
The film may not have been a hit at the box office but, he observes, “Films like these have a life beyond commercial returns.” The National Award has cemented the film’s place of honour in cinematic history, he says. This is not the first time his films have won accolades. For ‘Sajda’, a film on Waris Shah, he was honoured by the All India Radio and Television Producers Association. He observes, “Merely paying lip service and boasting about how our culture is exceptionally rich is not enough. We need to make Gen Z realise the power and beauty of our cultural history through the wonderful medium of cinema, TV, and even social media.”
As for creativity running in the family, he is mighty proud of his daughters, actors Yami and Surilie, and their spouses Aditya Dhar (director of ‘Uri; The Surgical Strike’) and Jasraj Bhatti, respectively. Do we see Mukesh Gautam transition to Bollywood? All he would commit is whatever may be his creative pursuits, his line of thinking would follow the same tangent — ‘Achha kaam karo…’
