Reverse Swing

Kinjal for me meant my first brush with non-fiction film making. 

It is a short non-fiction film about a young school going, working girl in a working class environment. Largely raising gender and aspiration issues, I used an improvisational film technique to make a reflexive piece of cinema that constantly refers to its own making.

This film gave me so much, that when I actually sat down to write about it, I was blank. Didn't know where to begin. Even the brief synopsis of the film that you'll find written at various places are words from my guide- Milindo Taid's response to it in my 'marksheet'.

How do you write clearly about something so close to you...It was almost like having a baby...the nurturing, the discovery that this beautiful being is yours...

I started with small workshops in Bapunagar, Ahmedabad, India. The only thing I knew at that point was that I wanted to work with and for children for my first documentary project. But what the theme would be, I didn't know...My head throbbed with questions...confusing my heart further...I decided to just stick around and hoped something will become apparent. I remembered Milindo telling me that in order to tell my story through children, I will need children who I can communicate with...I found Kinjal, Bharat and Raju interesting to talk to. They seemed very clear about their thoughts. Kinjal worked in the incense stick factory and was the eldest of the siblings. Bharat and Raju were shoeshine boys who worked in the Heera Market closeby. Many nights of lemon tea...midnight back rubs with Chinnu later, I decided that I will sit down with my camera and these three kids and see what they say...let's explore...

But like with many things in my life, how could this be so simple...Bharat and Raju ran away from home a few days before the shoot (Meena Ben - our lab incharge would've killed me if I changed my assigned shoot dates!!). So, now it had to be Kinjal only. Her parents weren't very forthcoming initially. But the kid sure used her charms and the mother, grandma and uncle agreed to come on camera. The reluctant father decided to give it a miss. I respect him for that.  In the film one does miss his thoughts and fundas. 

The granny was also a tough one. She did not see a point in being shot if it was not going to be on television. But she obliged after a lot of begging. I think Kinjal puts down my motives better in one of her lines when I ask her 'who do you will watch the film', she said, 'your teacher who has to grade you' !! I was surprised at the honesty and innocence with which she solved my dilemma at that point. I always used to think, who am I making this film for...Kinjal not only surprised me but showed me the mirror. She has done this not once,but many a times through the shoot...stripped my motives as a filmmaker but naked for the camera to see. She literally did turn the camera towards me.

‘Kinjal’ has been to the following festivals:

1. VIBGYOR International Film Festival, Thrissur, Kerala. May 2007.

2. Fringe Festival, India Habitat Centre, New Delhi, 26-27th December, 2006.

3. 3 Screens Film Festival, organized by India Social Forum, New Delhi.

4. National Competition section at MIFF 2006 (Mumbai International Film Festival)

5. Focus India section of Signs 2005, a festival of documentaries organized by Federation of Film Societies of India.

You can see the film online at: 

http://www.buzz18.com/videos/videos/kinjal/6002