As is often the case, many questions were asked
by Goa having one sole representative at the Indian
Panorama Section of the 47th International Film
Festival of India (IFFI), in the form of ‘K Sera Sera –
Ghodpachem Ghoddtelem’, which was written and
directed by Rajeev Shinde and produced by ‘De
Goan Studio’. The Konkani film premiered yesterday,
November 26, 2016 at 5:45 pm, and was selected
from among 230 eligible entries submitted across the
country by a 13-member-strong panel.
The film is the brainchild of the local duo of
Gayatri Pednekar and Rajesh Pednekar. Released
under the umbrella of ‘De Goan Studio’, the movie
is a tale that deals with two distinct individuals, with
contrasting approaches to life. While one character
believes in changing the circumstances with precise
action, the other prefers to drift along with the tide
and let the circumstances decide one’s life’s course.
The film poses the provocative question of ‘Do we live
life, or does life live us?’
The all-star cast that has worked on this project
goes far beyond cast members like Palomi Ghosh who
shot to fame with her role in ‘Nachom-ia Kumpasar’.
The back end team is just as impressive with Director
of Photography Hari Nair (ICS) of ‘Shool’ fame, Editor
Niraj Voralia who has worked on films such as ‘Vihir’,
‘Shwaas’ and ‘Valu’, and the two-time National Award
winning Sound Designer, Bishwadeep Chatterjee, who
has worked on massive titles such as ‘Parineeta’, ‘Piku’,
‘Munnabhai MBBS’, ‘Bajirao Mastani’ and ‘3 Idiots’, to
name a few.
The Director of Photography, Hari Nair, believes
that this is a positive step forward for local cinema,
saying, “I think the fact that ‘K Sera Sera’ is being
showcased at the Indian Panorama section of IFFI is a
great step forward for Konkani film. It is a statement of
intent from Konkani
cinema, as it is,
in my opinion, a
‘complete film’.
There isn’t one
solitary aspect
that I could
single out, as
something I
would highlight
individually. It’s a
sum of many parts that come together well.”
Probed a little further as to whether ‘K Sera Sera’ is
ahead of the game, and is hence the only Konkani film
being screened at IFFI this year, Hari adds, “It is clear
that the selectors at IFFI see something of value in the
production. Like I said earlier, it is a complete film, and
as such, is bound to have appeal.”
Speaking about how his involvement in the film
came to be, Neeraj Voralia, the editor of the film,
says, “Acclaimed film critic and scholar Ashok Rane
happened to tell me about the script of ‘K Sera Sera’
and expressed that I’d be a good fit. Then I met the
producer of the film, Rajesh Pednekar, and it was an
instant connect.” Voralia says that having worked on
Marathi films in the past certainly did help in working
on his first Konkani film. He adds, “One can get a hang
of most of the dialogues and there are a few things that
one can always ask.” Voralia feels that working on this
film was a pleasant experience: “Working on the film,
with the cast and crew, was genuinely fun. I’d love to
come over and over again to work with them in the
future.”
With ‘K Sera Sera’ having set the bar this year,
for what it takes to be a competitive film, one
can only see other aspirants attempt to push
boundaries so that more such screenings may
possibly come forth at IFFI 2017.
