Mahek (film)
Encyclopedia
Mahek is an award winning Indian film by writer-director Kranti Kanade
. It was produced by the Children's Film Society of India (CFSI). It is included in the University syllabus at the Otterbein College, US as part of their India studies. Mario Miranda
has done the titles for this film.
) from Shimla fit the role. The gifted children cast didn't need to be directed at all and often the first take would be approved. Shot on 35mm in a quiet residential area in Bavdhan area of Pune, it had sync sound and no dubbing.
alumnus who subsequently did noted work. Mrinal Desai, the DOP, was the second unit director of photography on Oscar winner Slumdog Millionaire
. Sound designer Anmol Bhave won National Award for award winning marathi films 'Gandh' and 'Gabhricha Paus
'. Editor Suchitra Sathe also did 'Gabhricha Paus'. Music composer Mathieu Lamboley composed music in Paris. Sound mixing was done by Subir Das and Anup Dev.
to affectionate reviews. It was invited to over thirty film festivals worldwide including Chicago, Munich, Sprockets Toronto, St Louis, Cleveland, winning awards in Hollywood and Houston. It was nominated for the Best Children's Film at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards
, Australia. It is included in the University syllabus at the Otterbein College, US as part of their India studies.
Kranti Kanade
Kranti Kanade is an award-winning Film Director and Screenwriter born in Pune, India. He studied filmmaking at FTII and UCLA .-Gandhi Of The Month:...
. It was produced by the Children's Film Society of India (CFSI). It is included in the University syllabus at the Otterbein College, US as part of their India studies. Mario Miranda
Mario Miranda
Mario Miranda is an Indian cartoonist based in Loutolim in the Indian state of Goa. He was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 2002, and Padma Shri in 1988....
has done the titles for this film.
Story and the character
11-yr old Mahek dreams of becoming the very best at everything, but is unsure of how to achieve her goals. To complicate things further, an old, magic-less Modern Fairy enters her life. Will Mahek ever realize her true strength? Like any eleven year old, Mahek Mirza is a daydreamer and an ambitious one at that. But that doesn't help the little failures she faces in real life. She dreams of being India's first female President while she is losing her class elections. She wants to win an award for bravery saving a classmate but ends up being saved from drowning herself. She always loses to her father in chess. To complicate matters, she meets an old lady claiming to be a modern fairy. She asks Mahek to probe herself, to find that one thing she loves and could be good at; Imitating others will not help. She subtly tries to un-condition the little girl. But Mahek doesn't know where to begin.Inspiration
It came from Kranti's own life. About the childhood he couldn't have. A pure lack of philosophical and spiritual input. Insensitive teachers and every kind of pressure to win and succeed. A child's uniqueness, his ideas, are not respected. He also wanted to document the socio-eco-cultural changes in India from a child's perspective. A growing gap between the rich and the poor in cities. He chose to tell a story of a girl because he always missed having a sister while growing up and this was his chance to have one.Production
The entire shoot and post was done in Pune. The main Hindi film industry is based in Mumbai and it is generally considered that if you want to make a film, you must go there. The script was written by Kranti and his co-writer was Kedar Dharwadkar. Associate Director Matthias Schwelm from Germany handled the entire production. However, the search for the lead character caused the film's shooting to be delayed by three months. Finally Shreya Sharma (The Blue UmbrellaThe Blue Umbrella (film)
The Blue Umbrella is a 2007 Indian film based on the novel, The Blue Umbrella, by Ruskin Bond and directed by Vishal Bhardwaj. It starred Shreya Sharma and Pankaj Kapur in lead roles...
) from Shimla fit the role. The gifted children cast didn't need to be directed at all and often the first take would be approved. Shot on 35mm in a quiet residential area in Bavdhan area of Pune, it had sync sound and no dubbing.
Crew
The entire crew was FTIIFTII
FTII may refer to:* Film and Television Institute of India, Pune* a title indicating that the bearer is a Fellow of The Chartered Institute of Taxation in the United Kingdom...
alumnus who subsequently did noted work. Mrinal Desai, the DOP, was the second unit director of photography on Oscar winner Slumdog Millionaire
Slumdog Millionaire
Slumdog Millionaire is a 2008 British epic romantic drama adventure film directed by Danny Boyle, written by Simon Beaufoy, and co-directed in India by Loveleen Tandan. It is an adaptation of the novel Q & A by Indian author and diplomat Vikas Swarup...
. Sound designer Anmol Bhave won National Award for award winning marathi films 'Gandh' and 'Gabhricha Paus
Gabhricha Paus
The Damned Rain is a 2009 Marathi-language black comedy film about the prevalence of suicide among the drought-stricken farmers in the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra, India. The film has been directed by Satish Manwar, and stars Girish Kulkarni, Sonali Kulkarni, Aman Attar and Jyoti Subhash...
'. Editor Suchitra Sathe also did 'Gabhricha Paus'. Music composer Mathieu Lamboley composed music in Paris. Sound mixing was done by Subir Das and Anup Dev.
Reception
It premiered at the London Film FestivalLondon Film Festival
The BFI London Film Festival is the UK's largest public film event, screening more than 300 features, documentaries and shorts from almost 50 countries. The festival, , currently in its 54th year, is run every year in the second half of October under the umbrella of the British Film Institute...
to affectionate reviews. It was invited to over thirty film festivals worldwide including Chicago, Munich, Sprockets Toronto, St Louis, Cleveland, winning awards in Hollywood and Houston. It was nominated for the Best Children's Film at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards
Asia Pacific Screen Awards
The Asia Pacific Screen Awards is an international cultural initiative of the State Government of Queensland, Australia, through Events Queensland, to honour and promote the films, actors, directors, and cultures of Asia-Pacific to a global audience and to realise the objectives of UNESCO to...
, Australia. It is included in the University syllabus at the Otterbein College, US as part of their India studies.
Reviews
Some reviews of Mahek include:- British Film Institute - "An inspiring family film from India".
- Sprockets Toronto Film Festival - "The film celebrates imagination, self-confidence and perseverance."
- Maithili Rao, Frontline - "A rare combination of sensitivity and gentle humour."
- Rachel Dwyer, University of London - "Totally delightful."
- Cleveland Film Festival, USA -"Gem of a film."
- St Louis Film Festival, USA - "Beautifully filmed with a nice eye for color and very funny."
- Syracuse New Times, New York - "Certainly matches Truffaut’s cinematic spirit."
In the press
- Business Line - Cinematic Kranti!
- Frontline - Reality and dreams: Review by Maithili Rao
- Hindustan Times - A philosopher and a filmmaker
- Outlook - A new filmmaker on the horizon
- Indian Express - Imagery of childhood
- Mahek's first screening in India
- Interview with Kranti Kanade
- Indian children's film win accolades in Houston