The premiere of Jayant Digambar Somalkar’s award-winning debut Marathi feature film ‘Sthal (A Match)’, which had its Asia Premiere in the South Asia Competition Section, received an exhilarating response at the Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival.
The premiere was attended by the entire primary cast, most of whom were visiting Mumbai for the first time. A lot of the film’s crew was also present. Guilty Minds actors’ Shriya Pilgaonkar and Varun Mitra were also present at the screening along with filmmakers Chhatrapal Ninawe (Ghaat), Ajitpal Singh (Fire In The Mountains) and Suchitra Krishnamoorthi.
The screening was followed by an insightful Q and A with the film team which was moderated by filmmaker Bikas Mishra. Filmmaker Jayant candidly spoke about the process of shooting the film in his native village and working with a local cast of non-actors.
The World Premiere of the film was at the 48th Toronto International Film Festival where it won the NETPAC award for the best film from the Asia-Pacific region.
Sthal (A Match) explores the tradition of arranged marriages in rural India, where the relentless pursuit of a girl’s marriage overshadows the very sustenance of life. It is narrated from the perspective of a young girl, Savita, highlighting patriarchy, colorism and social evil deeply rooted in society.
The film shot in Jayant’s native village, Dongargaon in the Chandrapur District of Maharashtra, features an ensemble cast of first-time actors from the village starring Nandini Chikte as the protagonist Savita along with Taranath Khiratkar, Sangita Sonekar, Suyog Dhawas, Sandip Somalkar, Sandip Parkhi, Swati Ulmale, Gauri Badki & Mansi Pawar.
The film is produced by Dhun, a production company co-founded by Karan Grover, Shefali Bhushan, Jayant Digambar Somalkar & Riga Malhotra.
Jayant Digambar Somalkar wrote & directed an award-winning short Iyatta: Class (2016) and also co-wrote and co-directed the Amazon Prime Original Series Guilty Minds (2022).
Excited about the Asia Premiere, Director Jayant Digambar Somalkar says, “We have received an amazing audience response at MAMI, even better than we did at TIFF. MAMI for me is my home ground and a film institute for me apart from being my favorite film festival. I have never been to a film school. Whatever I have learnt about filmmaking is by watching films at MAMI. so I am really happy and thrilled with all these responses”
Producer Shefali Bhushan says, “The response has been very very good. This is the film’s third screening, the first one at MAMI and it has been a houseful show just like both the screenings at TIFF. The audience has also been fabulous. This screening had an even better response than the first two screenings since there were many who understand Marathi. They are getting every little nuance of every word. It’s been a stupendous response so far.”
Producer Karan Grover says, “Really delighted to see the response, It is really unbelievable. An effort that is totally independent and so unadulterated, and it has resulted in getting a response that is so phenomenal.”
Synopsis: In a village in the Vidarbha region of India, a determined young girl, Savita, yearns for education and a brighter future. However, as her farmer parents anxiously struggle to find a suitable match for her, societal expectations place immense pressure on her to prioritize marriage over personal aspirations.
Being dark-complexioned and short in height, Savita is seen as an added ‘burden’ on her parents and ‘marrying her off’, as difficult as finding fair price for their crop. Facing countless rejections from potential suitors, she must navigate a world where the pursuit of marriage overshadows the very sustenance of life.
Shot on real locations with real people from the village, all non-actors, ‘A Match’ is the director’s debut feature film that explores the tradition of arranged marriages in rural India while highlighting patriarchy, colorism and social evil deeply rooted in society.
Born in a village in the Vidarbha region of India, Jayant Somalkar is an engineering graduate, but his creative bent of mind made him veer towards filmmaking. His debut short film, ‘Iyatta- Class,’ showed at many film festivals and won many awards. He has co-written and co-directed the critically acclaimed Amazon Prime Video Original Series ‘Guilty Minds’. ‘A Match’ marks the director’s debut feature, showcasing his talent for storytelling and commitment to presenting social issues in an authentic and compassionate manner.
The director says, “Coming from a humble rural background, I have been fascinated by grassroot level stories that are socially relevant and affect the lives of common people. Sthal (A Match) is one such. Through this film, my goal as a director is to bring out the realities faced by young women like Savita, who are almost sacrificed in the urgency for getting them “married off”. The film delves into themes of patriarchy, colorism, and societal pressures.
Being the youngest of 4 siblings, I saw my sisters going through this as I grew up. The idea for this particular film crystallized when I accompanied my cousin for one such ‘Match’ meeting.
To capture the authenticity and rawness, I chose to shoot on real locations with real people from the village as cast, all non-actors. By doing so, I sought to create an immersive experience and allow viewers to connect with the characters at a more emotional level.
I was lucky to fulfill the dream of shooting in my own village, in fact in the very house where I was actually born. I could also include my extended family, some as cast and others in production roles. The pride they felt, seeing one of their own, bring a crew to the village and shoot a film, is for me, indescribable.
The visual aesthetic of the film reflects the stark reality of rural India, capturing the beauty of the landscape as also the harshness of everyday life. The use of the traditional folk music makes the viewer connect to the events in a more experiential way while the western, brings the characters’ dreams alive surrealistically.
Through this film, I hope to spark conversations around the tradition of arranged marriage, gender inequality, and the pressing need for change.
‘Dhun’ also means passion and that is exactly what brought the four partners behind Dhun together. Karan Grover with his expertise in content marketing and music, Shefali Bhushan and Jayant Somalkar with their strengths as storytellers and Riga Malhotra with her love for the movies are an eclectic mix with complementary skills who are in this business because they love the art behind it. They have been putting their minds, hearts and resources together to create meaningful and thought provoking stories that make a difference to people’s lives. Together they have produced the feature film ‘Jugni’ and the shorts ‘Iyatta’ and ‘Tambur’ that have traveled to several film festivals and won awards apart from being loved by viewers and critics alike. ‘Sthal’ is their first Marathi feature film.
Let us know if you would like to watch the film or interview the filmmaker 🙂
