Jollywood is still a poorer cousin to Kolkata and Mumbai’s bustling movie centres, even though there is no dearth of local flair. The vein of tribal culture running through the State is a rich lode of material for the local film industry and needs to be nourished.
While Jharkhandi cinema may have crossed its nascent stage, its basic infrastructure is not wholly developed as yet.
The State government has been doing a bit through media and tourism initiatives, but despite such exposure and some local talent making the national stage, the odd spurts have yet to translate into momentum.
Reputed filmmaker and activist Meghanth tells The Indian Tribal that there is a need for more local interest. He cites the example of Manipur, saying that its film industry has flourished because even those living in small villages produce films on their own, featuring their daily life and local issues.
In Jharkhand, filmmakers are not getting any support from even the government or local bigwigs, he rues. Film producer Rishi Prakash Mishra too chips in and stresses on the need for backing from the government.
Insiders also lament that most locals don’t want to miss the opportunities offered by the bigger ponds of Mumbai and Kolkata.
Mishra admits, “Jollywood is mainly dependent on Bollywood and Tollywood for technical support. Good technical hands usually migrate to explore better opportunities for the growth of their careers.”
Meanwhile, in its attempts to break the migration trend and nurture talent locally, the State has been regularly organising international film festivals for the past four years.
“We made a very humble start in 2018. Only Afghanistan and Russia participated. In 2019, 12 nations participated,” says Mishra, who is chairman of the film festival’s organizing committee. “In 2020, the film festival was held online because of the pandemic. Fifty-two countries participated and 657 films were aired,” he adds.
In 2021, the event was held on October 29-31 in Ranchi and over 24 countries participated, with 152 films — including 20 from Jharkhand — being screened. “Film production was badly affected in 2021 because of Covid-19 but we still received a good response to the festival,” says Mishra.
In addition, December 11-12 last year saw the ninth edition of the short film festival Vision, in Ghatshila. It was in virtual mode this year too, owing to the pandemic, but is expected to foster interest in the short format and showcase the culture of the region.
