‘The Pyre’, a poignant description of plight of old in mountains to be premiered at Tallinn Black Nights International Film Festival at Astonia today

‘The Pyre’, a poignant description of plight of old in mountains to be premiered at Tallinn Black Nights International Film Festival at Astonia today
B.D.Kasniyal
Pithoragarh, Nov 19
‘The Pyre, the only feature film produced and directed by young Indian film maker Vinod Kapri, who hails from Uttarakhand is the lone entry from India in the 28th Tallinn Black Nights International Film Festival being held at Astonia from November 8 till 24, 2024.
The film is a realistic depiction of sorrowful state of old couples in remote hill regions of Uttarakhand which is hit by migration of youth who have left villages to earn their livelihood for survival leaving behind helpless old people in the villages. This situation poses uncertainty amongst them even for their last rites as no one has been left in these villages to take the dead to cremation ground and lit the pyre.

The film story is about a couple who finding the situation of youthless village and absence of their own progeny during their last time, makes their pyre ready near their home with firewood so that there was no need of many people to take their bodies to the traditional cremation ground which are at a distance. The film is scheduled to be screened in the film festival today (November 19) at 6 pm.
“The basic idea of film was struck in film maker’s mind when he met an old couple in Josha village of Munsiyari during his trip to the region in 2017. The old couple, whose lone son was untraced from last 25 years and village was left with only 7 persons.With advancing age, the couple were worried of their future and even for their last rites that how that would be held in the absence of people, ” said Sudheer Rathod, a journalist and an actor associated with the film production.
Fearing of arranging their last rites in the absence of their son and few old villagers left in the mountain village, the old couple started preparing for his last rites and start making their own pyre in their house campus. “The couple quarrel on what would happen to another’s last rites if one of them dies first and the answer was, the ghost of first dead would solemnise another’s last rites,” as per the film.
After getting the idea of film from that remote village, Vinod Kapri started planning and looked for suitable actors. The role of the old man was given to Padam Singh, an uncle of Vinod Kapri from village of Okhar and but it was difficult to find a suitable actor for the role of the old woman.
After a long search, the Kapri zeroed on Hira Devi of Gartir village, a widower who often played different characters during village marriage celebrations.”After finding the lead characters, we started training them in Gartir village,” said Sudheer.

Vinod Kapri,Director of the film with lead actors in a flight to Astonia for the premier of the film.
Out of 80 members crew that produced the film in make shift outdoor studio near Gartir village, also the native village of Vinod Kapri, the main actors were from Pithoragarh and nearby towns.”While Oscar award winner technicians were involved in composing and editing the film, famous poet Gulzar has written a sing for the film,” said Sudheer.
Hira Devi who has now reached Astonia for the premier of the film was initially hesitant to leave the village as she had no one to take care of her cow.” We could persuade her married daughter to take care of her cow so that her mother could go to Astonia for the premier of the film, ” said Sudheer.