PANAJI: ‘Sunpat’ is the first film from Uttarakhand to be selected at International Film Festival of India. The film in ‘Garhwali’ language tells a story of the effect of migration on the culture of the state known for its pilgrimage centres, mountainous terrain and holiday destinations.
Rahul Rawat, the young director of Sunpat’, was not drawn into making a statement about migration. But he expressed a concern at lack of opportunities in his home state of Uttarakhand, which was formerly a part of Uttar Pradesh.
“People fought for a separate state and in 2001 we got it; when that happened – people really had greater hopes that things will change and opportunities will come. Down the line now it’s the 21st year running, nothing has changed and things actually have gone worse. Because of the socio-economic failure that Uttarakhand saw, migration has become the biggest concerning issue of the state. Approximately 1500 villages have turned into ghost villages, while 4000 villages are left with very few people… So, a society, culture, a tradition is at stake,” explained Rawat, who cast school-going village talents for the main roles in the film depicting social trauma; and praised them lavishly for doing a superb job.
