Umesh Vinayak Kulkarni

Kumbh

“A dream came to me from who knows where having slept as two I awake as one / the other wasn’t there”. Two young men on a blind date start their journey outside the city. Unknowingly they become a part of maze of a pilgrimage of sadhus. They look around, they observe, they smile, they doubt, they whisper. They are lost, they are found. Two young men stroll curiously around the Kumbh Mela, a huge religious festival involving millions of Hindus. They are wearing modern clothing, which makes them stand out among the pilgrims, most of whom are in traditional dress. Kumbh Mela, which takes place every three years at one of the four major Hindu sites (Haridwar, Allahabad, Ujjain and Nasik), is seen as the biggest pilgrimage in the world, bringing the many faces of Hinduism together. There are naked sadhus smeared in ash, rich gurus collecting donations, musicians and other performers, and simple pilgrims washing away their sins by ritual bathing in the river.

Jaundya Na Balasaheb

The film addresses issues related to the younger generation in politics, and argues that one need not have a problem with dynastic politics, if the heirs are worthy and manage to prove their eligibility.

Starfruits

Salim and Vishnu are lovers who are separated when Vishnu leaves for Dubai. In this tale of 1990s India, a story of love and a search for self-identity unfolds while the eventual doom of the Mumbai blasts looms behind.

The Grinding Machine

After her husband died, a mother buys a grinding-machine in order to make a living. Initially fascinated by the machine, her son starts getting irritated by its noise. He tries to destroy the machine to regain his childhood.