A group of women sitting around their stitching stations and kids playing in a lush park — these are some of the images that inspired Chandigarh-based actor-filmmaker Manahar Kumar’s work. One of them invokes the City Beautiful almost immediately, the other not so much. Yet, for Manahar, they were both essentially Chandigarh.
Having grown up in the city, near PGI, he saw the city as it transforme
At the heart
of Manahar Kumar’s short documentary ‘Badlaav Republic’ is the NGO, Chhoti Si Asha, which helps women use their skills of stitching
and crochet to make a living.
d over the years. His first exposure to the performing arts also came about in Chandigarh, through theatre.
“In Class IX, we did ‘The Lion King’. It was like first love. I got really lucky as it was around the time that Zubin Mehta set up the Wings Theatre Academy in the city. I opted for non-medical in Class XI and XII, but managed to balance my studies with acting. I performed in several plays during the time and there has been no looking back since,” Kumar, who attended St Kabir and St John’s, recalls.
His first role on stage was that of Shenzi, the hyena. An unconventional start, one might assume. But that has been the theme throughout his young career. When he decided to make ‘Badlaav Republic’, a short documentary, it showed a side of Chandigarh seldom seen on screen — an NGO helping women use their skills of stitching and crochet to make a living. From the periphery of Chandigarh, Khuda Lahora to be precise, the film was thrust into mainstream with a Student Emmy nod.
His other film, ‘Race’, which deals with inherent biases, be it race or caste, also traces its genesis back to Chandigarh — a rather indistinct wrestling bout witnessed in one of the city’s many parks.
Short films have been his medium of choice. Telling a compelling story in 12-15 minutes can come across as a challenge, but it is one that Kumar enjoys taking head-on. “That’s where the filmmaker’s craft shines. It’s about keeping the viewer engaged. Short films are also a great way to dip your feet in storytelling for young filmmakers.”
He also enjoys telling an underdog story, for there’s something universal about them. He, however, does not actively chase stories. Like ‘Badlaav Republic’ and ‘Race’, he lets them come to him naturally. “A story is alive. In film school, our class used to receive the exact same story and brief, but would still come up with completely distinct films because of our lives, our experiences and our journeys,” he said, describing making a film as one of the most intimate experiences one can go through.
And yet, learning never stops. “My grandfather used to say, ‘The more you read, the more you realise how little you know.’ It’s the same with films. As I got to learn more during my time in film school and even while helping my own projects, I realised that the learning never stops,” Kumar, who honed his skills at the Savannah College of Art & Design, Atlanta, said.
With his latest project, ‘Beaten Down’, premiering at the Samuel Goldwyn Theatre, the home of the Oscars, he continues to break new ground. It’s a dark comedy about an immigrant in the US and much like his other body of work, the themes of belonging and empathy are universal.
For Kumar, the true magic truly unfolds when the emotional core is the technical aspects. He often tends to experiment with light and camera movements, noting, “It is a conscious choice to begin with outside in. But once you’re on set, instincts take over. You also begin to trust your crew members, who have their own way of looking at light, the colours, how the camera pans. It’s a surrender.”
For someone keeping busy with premieres and festival circuits, Kumar has learnt to be malleable. “I’m like clay, water even, going wherever the flow takes me. I’m excited to see what I get to do next, be in India, abroad, it doesn’t matter what the language. I’m excited to be telling these stories.”
Films immortalise stories and that’s what a lot of Kumar’s work has managed to accomplish. Sisters Meera and Poonam, residents of Khuda Lahora who work with Chhoti Si Asha, the NGO at the heart of ‘Badlaav Republic’, say, “First, it was our products that went beyond Chandigarh. Now, to know that our story is going even farther in the form of this film fills our hearts with joy.”