The PASHI film is being Produced & Directed by the well known Multiple Times Award Winning Independent Filmmaker: Siddharth Chauhan, s/o B.S. Chauhan, from Shimla.
Shimla boy: Chetan Kanwar in Siddharth Chauhan’s latest film PASHI
A small crew of 10 people has started shooting the film on 15th December and the shoot will wrap up by 25th December, 2016. The film is being shot in Village Khalawan in Sunta Family’s Numberdar Lodge, in ROHRU, an old beautiful wooden building which has a unique pahari architecture and charm.
Chetan Kanwar was selected after many rounds of interviews and auditions and was considered for his natural charm and expertise in delivering in time constraints.
According to Siddharth, “Chetan will surprise everyone in the film with his effortless acting and brilliant performance!!!”
ACTORS:
The film will feature the following people in the lead roles:
- Chetan Kanwar, a student from Chapslee School Shimla
- John Negi (Vikas), a fitness model/actor from Rampur
TEAM / CREW MEMBERS:
- Mridul Surbhi: 1st Assistant Director
- Shefali Chauhan: 2nd Assistant Director
- Ankit Rathore: Production Manager
- Yashwant Kumar Sharma: Cameraman
- Tanmaya Das: Sound Recorder
PASHI: The Film / Story
- PASHI in a local dialect means a trap for the birds/animals.
- The film is a story about a young boy who gets fascinated by the idea of trapping birds and starts experimenting with it.
- When he tries to misuse a trap on the people in his life he lands up in an inescapable trap and realises that he can never be smarter than LIFE which has its own ways to trap us.
ABOUT: Siddharth Chauhan
- Siddharth has been making films since past 4 years and is known for his innovative style and bold storytelling.
- All his films have been based in Himachal and have taken the local culture, talent and scenic beauty to countries like Sarajevo, England, USA, Belarus, Italy, Durham, Indonesia, Paris and New Zealand.
- His achievements have made him the 1st Independent Filmmaker from Himachal Pradesh to have consistently taken his locally produced films outside India!
- He has never undergone any professional training for this.
PAST WORK:
- Siddharth’s last film PAPA won the BEST FILM AWARD at International Film Festival of Kerala and competed with 35 other professional films from across the country.
- The jury panel comprised of renowned filmmakers who praised his film and called it a unique film which could accomplish an “INNOVATION IN NARRATIVE GESTURE!!!”.
- Surprisingly Siddharth has never undergone any training in this field and has learnt only by experimenting and watching films.
- Before PAPA, his films BOYS DONT WEAR NAILPOLISH! & THE INFINITE SPACE have also performed extremely well in the festival circuit.
- Boys Don’t Wear Nailpolish was invited by the Carolina Theatre Group for an Official Screening in US.
- The Infinite Space premiered at the University of Manchester, UK.
IDEA BEHIND MAKING OF PASHI:
- Siddharth is extremely excited about this film which draws inspiration from his own childhood experiences and memories.
- While growing up, in Dhanoti, Siddharth actually learned about Pashi from the local boys who used to trap and kill birds in it.
- Hunting was then considered “manly and courageous” and Siddharth, a practitioner of Buddhism, found himself surrounded by chauvinistic boys and men who believed in violence and followed strange norms to explore their identity and gender roles.
- Siddharth has openly criticised and spoken about this violent practice which condemns respect for the dignity of wildlife and their right to live and flourish comfortably.
- Siddharth describes the film as bold, hard hitting and once again follows an unconventional narrative pattern in this film.