MONDAY, MAY 13, 2024
Aalokshi Awade
Set in the village of Carona, ‘Aiz Mhaka Falya Tuka’ (Me
Today, You Tomorrow), revolves around a strange supernatural mystery. The
Konkani film, ‘Aiz Mhaka Falya Tuka’, will have its premiere today, January 27
at 6.30 pm at the Entertainment Society of Goa, Panjim. The film won the
‘Prasad Lab DI Award & Movie buff Appreciation Award’ at Film Bazaar in
2020. After an archaeologist unearths a medieval idol, the village is plagued
by disappearances and deaths, leaving its residents to run for cover. A few months
later, an archaeologist reaches the abandoned village to uncover the source of
the affliction which could be closer than he thinks.
The film was shot in 2019 and involves its cast - Ravio
Rafus Fernandes, Prashanti Talpankar, Milind Nabar, and Selwyn D’Silva. The
film is produced by Akshay Singh and Sreejith Karanver. The cinematography is
handled by Tenzing Dakpa and directed by Sreejith Karnaver. According to the
director, the film was born in admiration for this world, a world that sticks
to its mores, resistant to the outside. The cast of actors as well as
non-actors were taken through the process of embodiment and localization. The
film is supposedly a portrait of a community made from within.
Akshay Singh, the producer and the writer states, “I feel
that the screenplay communicated through the characters, and especially the
actors were exceptionally good, including the non-actors.” He thinks that the
film is revolutionary. Tenzing Dakpa, the cinematographer states, “We made the
film in natural light, natural surroundings, and with no storyboard.” The
cinematographer who is also a professional photographer describes it as his
first feature-length film. He said he was pretty anxious in terms of how the
film will turn out. The only challenge they faced during the shooting of this
film was adapting to the ‘monsoon-y’ climate which somehow affected the
color-correction of the film.
Prashanti Talpankar, who usually plays a character of a
mother or a grandmother, found this role to be quite challenging. Since her
recovery from cancer, she feels that this role was ‘challenging her,
healthwise’. She also finds it brave and motivational to play the role as she
fought her battle with cancer. Milind Nabar, the lead character described his
experience as, “An experience indulging in multicultural activities, as the
crew was from all over India. Overall, the experience was fantastic.” Selwyn
D’Silva, a non-actor opened up about this as the raw form of his acting skills,
and also his first time. The location of the bakery is surprisingly Selwyn’s
bakery, which also added the essence to his character.
Akshay Singh also adds, “The idea came from my time spent in
Aldona from the stories we heard in bars, bakeries, and people’s homes.” The
filmmaker has been in this field for approximately 13 years and said he doesn’t
stick to one particular genre. Thus, this is his first Konkani film which is a
supernatural mystery which is based on the idea of ‘Rakhondar’ or ‘Gaon
Purush’.
