India is a complex, broad, big and varied country. Despite the government’s attempts to improve the situation, the caste system is still quite latent among its land. An intricate hierarchy that has been sedimented in their cultural core for centuries and centuries can not be easily erased. This is why, this obsolete way of social stratification still today governs who people marry, what they eat, where they work or which education can they truly and realistically access.
I try to find the piece of each production that connects me to the story.
Tarun told us that in his productions he always tries to find something that resonates with him. His journey as a filmmaker started quite organically rather than with him deciding to become a director.
‘When I was younger I was a shy kid and used to have a hard time expressing myself in the smallest things. I could feel how this issue was taking over different aspects of my life. One day, a friend of mine introduced me to some workshops he liked. After this, I started taking over different habits: reading, watching films and learning new things about cinema in different countries; outside of Bollywood. Shortly after, through the Spanish embassy, I got the opportunity to work on a documentary that was being executed by a couple of Spanish students in India. I traveled across the country and through word of mouth this project led me to others. I worked in Indian films, with NGOs, and around the world (New York, Spain, Canada…).
After a few years in the industry it came clear to me that I could react to these situations, and that I could think in terms of filmmaking and storytelling.’
He realized his confidence laid there and that it was something that, for him, came from within. If he could find his confidence, other things would fall into place. So he started writing and became vocal, finding, therefore, a way of self-understandment. Which helped him with all those other aspects of life that were, as mentioned above, affected by his shyness.
´I always try to work on projects that resonate with me´ Tarun says. ´I try to find the piece of each production that connects me to the story. Because I understand what I am telling once I relate to it.´ Many times he finds this connection by focusing on an underdog: someone whose voice has not been heard, a sensation similar to the one he felt before discovering his passion for filmmaking.
It did not take long until he shot his first short film “Mother (Amma Meri)”, a tragedy that focused on the agrarian crises, subtly touched from a political angle. With this film he traveled a lot inside and outside of India. The film starred in different Film Festivals and the production was well received and appreciated. He realized he was also good at making his own films, and during the past years he has worked in many projects such as “Kaala” or “Kohrra”. His short movies tend to do well in many Film Festivals and he has earned some awards and streamed on big platforms. The desire behind his productions is often tied to the fact that he wants to help his protagonist the same way he felt others helped him when he was trying to do something but was not able to. The same way his father and his friends offered him help initially (when he was starting his career), now he wants to be a guardian and enabler to others. Tarun wants his films to make others’ voices be heard, the way he felt filmmaking helped him raise and find his very own voice.
Every story is an exchange of ideas and information.
Tarun mentions that what moved him to work with us for the Cartier Philanthropy project was his intrigue for the concept and the subject around women education. ‘Plus, I was also quite driven by the opportunity of filming at the chosen location, a place which I was looking forward to exploring. I already knew that the place had great visuals to offer, so he took the opportunity to go there for the research in order to identify the character and what the story was going to be.’ Prayagraj is a historical place for Hindu Religion in which once every 12 years there is a religious pilgrimage called Kumbh Mela. A festival where people take a bath in the Holy River. It is, therefore, a very prominent representation of Indian culture. And as Tarun points out ‘when you’re telling a story, it’s always good to tell it in locations where there are lots of colours, activities, people, […] local temples…’
On top of this, Tarun is quite interested in the topic of female education in India, he mentions that in cases and topics like these there is always a lot to learn. This was the other main reason that made him accept the job. Tarun highlights that he sees ‘a lot of eagerness when interacting with the local community and the girls. It inspired me the resilience in these stories and how these young girls with less resources do not complain. They have the desire but lack the resources and the means. However, collaborating with initiatives like Cartier Philanthropy, make these dreams possible through slight change. Every story is an exchange of ideas and information.’
In the specific case of Cartier Philanthropy, Tarun was tightly moved by the story and the desire of a better education that the protagonist Shilu Yadav had. Directing this project and having a nice and friendly relationship with her led to Tarun and his partner, Nasira, who is also a co-writer and co-producer of all the projects, to sponsor the young girl’s education. ‘Today, Shilu is studying in an institute of Prayagraj and preparing for a government exam called UPSC. This exam gives a good position in the government post and a secure job with a lot of other perks and amenities. The education she is receiving will open a lot of doors for her and enable Shilu to pursue a bright future.’ Nasira and Tarun did not only finance and find a proper institute for her to study, but they also searched for a safe and right place for her to live around the main city. All of this while making sure Shilu’s parents felt comfortable and secure with all the changes going on in their daughter’s life. Overall, we can say this project ended up becoming short of personal for Tarun and Nasira, because of the way they ended up engaging with the protagonist’s life. An example of how eagerness can find its strength and potential once it meets a helping hand.
Furthermore, on his last project, “Ballad of the Mountain”, Tarun continued exploring the topic of female education in India, a subject that he also worked with us in our Cartier Philanthropy project. His new production is planned to screen in over 11 upcoming festivals in March, April and May. Two in the USA, two in the UK, one in Ireland, one in Mexico, one in Germany, four or five in India; and he is yet to crack Japan and Italy.
‘Ballad of The Mountain’ tells the story of a young Indian girl that lives deep into the mountains, her parents are from the working class and are often away, plus she has a little sister who she takes care of. To get to school she has to walk a long way everyday and most of the time her experience there results in being bullied and overlooked due to her economically challenged upbringing. In the short film she will have to make a quiet choice for herself. It is all very subtle and metaphoric, but she will have to decide whether to pursue her studies and fight for her future, or give up on it. The film portrays the reality of many female students and students from underprivileged communities in India, who have to face several challenges to access a dignified education.
The protagonist has to take care of her sister and her house. While her parents are away she displays the roles and tasks that are often taken by adults. Furthermore she has to travel far through the mountain to get to school, where, to top it all, she gets bullied. Seen just from the classmates and the teacher point of view, she is just one more student. She is even perceived as ‘weak’. ‘What I am trying to show is that we do not know everyone’s personal story, so we should not judge based merely on impressions’, mentions Tarun.
Before filming ‘Ballad of the mountain’ Tarun and his team went to different villages in India as part of the research. They spoke to different people who lived these realities. ‘They were very generous and open.’ recalls Tarun ‘We lived with them for a while and then decided to film non-actors from the villages. The way way we filmed with the children was very raw and natural. We would place the camera in the middle of the room and let them act in front of it, driven by whichever emotion came to them from within. They had a lot of freedom in the acting, we wanted the final result to feel quite real.’
The shooting, as a consequence, involved a lot of writing and rewriting on the script. And their protagonist, Diya Bisht, was a great actress playing a role for the first time. She acted in a way in which she kept loyal to herself and her emotions, she embraced the freedom provided in the acting and delivered a lovely performance. One thing that stood out to me (as a viewer and now writer of this article) from Diya’s acting, was her way around silences and how she works in quiet scenes. Managing to spread pure emotion with the smallest acts or looks.
Tarun is quite an advocate of the female right of learning, something that is sadly overshadowed at times among Indian communities. The topic of education is also kind of personal for him because of his father’s story. A man that came from a disadvantaged background, then moved to the big city and built a promising future for himself and his family thanks to going to school and getting an education. A factor that played a decisive role in the decision making throughout his life.
People need to change the way they see others.
However, Tarun is also drawn to this topic because of the big impact it has in his society. He is not only pointing out the problem with women’s education, but also highlighting the issue with studying accessibility for the underprivileged communities in a country that remains deeply affected by the caste system. The prevalence of this system is one of the main issues yet to be solved in India. Of course, many bright and successful figures in India have come from poor backgrounds. Nonetheless, it is undeniable that there remain many barriers that split up communities and classes throughout the country. The change must start taking place, first and foremost, into peoples minds, into the way societal disgregation and class differentiation is perceived within the Indian community. ‘I wanted mainly to send a local message, instead of a global one’ says Tarun ‘about how we shouldn’t judge others if we don’t know their battles. People need to change the way they see others.’
The caste system in India is often represented with a pyramid, which establishes a parallelism with the image of the mountain represented in Tarun’s film. The short movie ‘Ballad of the mountain’ carries a lot of deep symbolism. The mountain represents the caste system, and the young girl has to get through it in order to get to school every day. The mountain is her obstacle, the tangible shape that stands on her way to acquiring an education.
On a more personal note (as the viewer that now writes this article), what moved me more from the film and from the message Tarun sends with this movie, is that the protagonist does not want to climb the mountain, nor does she seek to reach its peak. Instead, she yearns to fly over it and beyond. She has faith in a story she heard, of a world awaiting across the mountains. It’s therefore a story of hope and possibility. She longs for the day when she can live outside the obsolete and degrading system that the mountain represents. And she does not intend to step on anyone in order to do so.
She works toward the moment when she can meet herself on the margins of the dark shadows that the oppressive caste system still imposes over her society and her country—a shadow that looms over her like a veil, a force of subjugation that suffocates her, and from which she can only escape by flying. She must break free from the ties that bind her to the ground and leave them completely behind, in her past.
And this flight must begin with her education—with waking up every day and going to school. Even if the path to get there is difficult, she must persevere. That is her choice: to pursue greatness, to believe in her future and to take the first step. Because if she trusts and relies on what lies ahead, plus she is willing to prepare for it… Then she’s got the fundamental combination of every great promise. The rest will be given once she soars above.
The first step of the journey starts right there, deep into the roots she aims to change, studying among the classmates whose narrow vision of the world she awaits to broaden. She does not intend to punch back, she rather fly. This is her very own way of fighting back. By herself and for herself.
Tarun Jain is an Indian storyteller and filmmaker who worked with Makmende Media on the project Cartier Philanthropy. We wanted to create this space to highlight the valuable influence these teams have on our work. Our cameras, on-site directors, photographers, and more serve as an essential extension of Makmende, completing our projects and allowing them to function seamlessly.
We’re proud to call incredible creators like Tarun part of our Makmende family. Are you looking to make a difference? Get in touch with us to join our family.
