Art imitates life, and cinema being a creative medium is considered closest to the real world. Perhaps, reflecting our emotions and situations in the most pragmatic style. But what happens when a movie depicts the dark side of human nature? Independent filmmaker Abhilash Sharma’s award-winning Magahi language movie Swaha (In the Name of Fire) is one such piece of art that may make you feel a little uncomfortable, but it doesn’t evade reality even a bit.
Set on the outskirts of Manorva village in Bihar’s Gaya district, the horror-drama film investigates the themes of casteism, prejudice, and extreme poverty, while also dwelling on the characters’ guilt, vulnerability, and innocence. The plot of the 99-minute movie sheds light on the plight of the life of a daily-wage labourer Phekan (Satya Ranjan), his troubled yet resilient wife Rukhiya (Sonalli Sharmisstha), and their infant son Karimana. In a parallel narrative, we meet Nehura (Chandra Shekhar Dutta) who is sort of a rural hearse service provider. Punctuated by stark vistas of barren rolling landscapes and the haunting notes of kirtan prayers, the narrative documents the stark realities of exploitation of those living on the margins of society, while also concentrating on hope, redemption, and purpose.
Shot in monochrome, Swaha’s cinematography is done by Devendra Golatkar, while Mohandas VP is the film’s sound director, and its music is composed by Devarshi Varma. A Prajna Films presentation, in association with Groundwater Productions, the film had its world premiere at the Shanghai International Film Festival in June 2024, where it won two Golden Goblet Awards – ‘Best Director’ and ‘Best Actor’ (Satya Ranjan) – in the ‘Asian Talent Category’. On home turf, Swaha is set to have screenings at the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) 2024 later this week, under the Indian Cinema Now section.
In an exclusive conversation with The Movie Mail, writer-director Abhilash opens up about what triggered him to make a film about a marginalised community, his personal connection with the story of Swaha, the casting process, how Gaya is almost a character in the movie, his views on OTT, and more. Excerpts:
Q. The lead actors of Swaha – Satya, Sonalli, and Chandra Shekhar – seem to be the ideal choices for the respective characters they play. Tell us about the casting process…
A. The casting began with more focus on finding actors who had the right look for the respective roles they would play, and who also had faith in the narrative. Before settling on Satya, Sonalli, and Chandra Shekhar to essay the lead characters, I met a number of actors from different backgrounds. I chose them after having a conversation about their understanding of life in general. But it’s not that we didn’t face problems during the process. In fact, the character of Rukhyia was initially supposed to be played by another actress. But she had to drop out due to some health concerns, and eventually, Sonalli came on board. Having said that, I think all the cast members have done a great job in the film, and I am deeply grateful to them for their trust in me as a director.
As a filmmaker, for me, cinema is more about design. So, while making this film, I asked all the actors to be as natural as they can in front of the camera. Given the plot and underlying themes, it was important that they felt the character rather than just memorising and delivering the dialogues. The pain and struggle of each character had to be portrayed well. Honestly speaking, they surprised me with their apt performance, especially keeping in mind the limitations of an independent film. As it’s a low-budget movie, the scenes had to be shot in one or two takes maximum. However, that didn’t discourage the actors and they gave their best in every scene. I really appreciate their dedication and hard work. But again, as the director, I would say the film’s design, which surrounds the narrative, also has a huge role in the final outcome. We spent around a year on the edit desk. So, that also helped in further defining the actors’ performance on screen.
Q. Speaking of design, what made you pick Gaya in Bihar as the backdrop?
A. After the film was conceived on script, I had a discussion with my cinematographer Devendra, and we initially decided to make the whole movie in around 72 shots. But after reaching the location, we confronted certain issues and were compelled to change the design approach. That said, some aspects of the narrative were symbolic, and we wanted to retain that. For instance, Nehura struggling to pull the cart uphill, carrying a dead body, and later going down a smooth road, feeling relieved from the guilt, have psychological connotations attached to them.
When it comes to the story, it’s inspired by Alan Becker’s 2006 animated web series Animator vs. Animation, which was all about a conflict between the animator and animation. In Swaha, I have placed that conflict between the creator and creation. Mother is regarded as the origin of creation. So, here the conflict is between the mother and her child. The narrative concentrates on situations and circumstances that lead to an extreme situation and what happens then.
During the writing stage, in order to perceive the conflict and realise how that unfolds, I revisited some of my own fears. As a child, I once went to my maternal grandfather’s village. There I met some Musahar people – a Dalit community that feeds on rats to stave off hunger. [Mostly found in the eastern Gangetic plain, the Terai of Nepal as well as in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, the Mushahar are mostly landless agricultural labourers. They are counted among India’s most marginalised communities]. I was just about eight or nine years old then and was shocked (rather disgusted) to learn about the discrimination and atrocities against this community. When I asked around about these people, instead of explaining what was going on there, I was given an easy answer: “They are not like us. They are rakshasas, and we should maintain a distance from them. They don’t belong to the village. They are outsiders.” The fear that I saw a rakshasa stayed with me for a long time, and it only made me more curious about them. It was only much later that I realised that they too are the same as us and that they resorted to eating rat meat only because of extreme poverty and prejudice.
In Swaha, the distraught working-class parents of the infant belong to this community. I come from Bihar, and Gaya is the poorest district in the state, where you’ll also find the presence of this community. So, I decided to set the story there. Apart from that, I also decided to go with the local Magahi language for the film. Four languages are primarily spoken in Bihar. But in Central Bihar – comprising Gaya, Patna, Nawada, and Nalanda – Magahi is widely spoken.
There’s an interesting backstory to finding the desirable shooting location in Gaya. Initially, when I along with Devendra and a few other people went from Mumbai to Gaya, we did recce for four-five days, but were unable to identify the kind of landscape we expected would suit the narrative. We were quite disheartened and contemplated changing the location altogether. And then, I thought of Shaiwal – the famous writer from Gaya. He’s probably best known for his short story Kaalsootra, which was adapted by filmmaker Prakash Jha into the 1985 movie Damul [with Annu Kapoor, Sreela Majumdar, Manohar Singh, Deepti Naval, Ranjan Kamath and Pyare Mohan Sahay in lead roles].
I know Shaiwal sir personally. He’s almost 80 years old now. So, I went to meet him. He had already read the script by then and suggested we go toward the Gehlor Ghati instead. “There you will find the kind of mountainous landscape, described in the script,” he said. And that’s how we finally shot the film in Gaya’s Gehlor Ghati. I am very grateful to Shaiwal sir for the timely guidance he provided us with. Of course, settings can be created inside a studio, but the magical touch that the natural environs offer is incomparable. Here, I must also acknowledge the contribution of Devendra as a cinematographer. The way he captured and presented the landscape, even though it’s a black-and-white film, has only added to its overall quality.
Q. I can understand the influence of your childhood experience, but what exactly was the trigger point that drove you to make this film?
A. I must admit that there was a time when I was struggling with finding ideas which, in turn, even made me doubt my future in filmmaking. Those days, I also used to take screenplay-writing classes and thought maybe I should instead dedicate myself to that profession. That’s when I saw the animated film and it motivated me to get back to writing the script for my film. But now when I look back, I see this film as a reflection of my understanding of the world as well as my personal struggles.
In 2012, I lost my mother. For the next two-three years, I was finding it difficult to come to terms with the fact that she is no longer in my life. This script was written around that time. So when you see Nehura in the film asking for forgiveness, it’s in a way symbolic of me seeking absolution for all the things I wanted to do for my mother, but couldn’t fulfill. Whatever I have become in my life, she has a very impactful role to play in that.
Additionally, I have an inclination toward Buddhism, and the idea of Nehura’s character came out of that understanding. The melodramatic scenes surrounding the character evolved during the writing process. It was like creating a cycle of events, similar to that of suffering, compassion, and nirvana described in Buddhist philosophy. So, in the beginning, Nehura faces a lot of suffering. His compassion begins only after he realises his guilt, and eventually finds peace. In a nutshell, even though the Alan Becker animation film served as an inspiration, the way the narrative developed over time has a deeply personal connection.
Q. Besides the distribution and marketing issues, lately a lot of independent filmmakers have been flagging the challenges they face while trying to release their films on OTT. What’s your take on that?
A. As a filmmaker, I think we have to be more realistic about the situation. Above all, cinema is industrial art and we have to accept the economic viability of this medium. There’s no doubt that OTT has opened a new window for small-budget or independent filmmakers. Earlier, it used to be nearly impossible for indie directors to release their films, due to the complete lack of a marketing budget. But after the emergence of digital platforms, many have managed to take their movie to the masses.
Speaking of the latest, director Shuchi Talati’s award-winning film Girls Will Be Girls is going to be released on Amazon Prime Video, which I consider a positive news. Of course, there are issues with OTT that probably need to be addressed. Nonetheless, I’m hopeful about the kind of impact it’s making on the overall indie cinema landscape globally. At the end of the day, the more avenues you have, the more opportunities you’ll get to showcase your work and reach more and more audiences. For instance, films like Chaitanya Tamhane’s The Disciple have been released on OTT and people are watching it everywhere. There’s a growing community that’s opening up to watching off-beat movies, thanks to OTT, and I see that as a welcome trend. Of course, every filmmaker dreams of having his or her film released in the theatres. But OTT is the new reality, and I am positive about the impact it’s making.
Q. After the festival run is over, how do you plan to take Swaha to the masses?
A. I believe my primary duty is to take the film to the Magahi-speaking districts of Bihar. I am also aware that it’s going to be a challenging task for me, but let’s see. Following that, we will try and release the film online.
Q. Any future projects that you would like to mention?
A. Yes, I am working on a new feature film; it’s still in the writing stage. The story focuses on the superficiality of love in today’s world – that we are slowly and gradually turning into a loveless society. I am hoping to start working on the project after February 2025.
