It is an extraordinary success story of 32-year-old Anushi Sharma, a gifted writer and artist from the obscure and backward village of Dravil in Shillai of Himachal Pradesh’s Sirmaur district who carved her path to the prestigious Cannes Film Festival which was neither smooth nor predictable. It was a hazardous, struggle-ridden journey marked by isolation, hardship and relentless determination — a journey that ultimately culminated in her film Khoonta securing an entry for screening into Cannes, the world’s most celebrated international film festival.

Speaking to this writer from Cannes after the screening of film, Mukesh Modi, New York-based Indian-American producer, said, “The response was tremendous and the audience turnout of producers and directors from the USA and France was bigger than for many other films screened here, my decision to venture into an innovative cinematic idea stemmed from a desire to support independent filmmakers who face enormous hurdles in their careers — struggles that I myself experienced. I eventually overcame those barriers in 2015 when my first film was shot in America.”

Director and producer,Mukesh Modi at Cannes |

Deeply influenced by the script and its cultural depth, Modi travelled extensively across Himachal Pradesh before production began in order to understand the region’s traditions, spiritual ethos and way of life. Referring to the film Khoonta — symbolising a binding force — Mukesh said, “The film has been shot entirely against the backdrop of rivers, remote villages and untouched landscapes to showcase to the world how deeply people remain committed to preserving their faith, traditions and cultural identity despite the growing lure of modernism.” The rural folk have got 100 % commitment to preserve their faith (Astha)and culture (Riti Riwaj) despite a list for modernism in present world, he added.

Regarding the project, he felt that he has particularly highlighted the extraordinary devotion local communities hold toward ‘Mahasu Maharaj’(local deity) and the deeply spiritual character of mountain life — elements rarely explored seriously in Indian cinema.

According to people associated with the project, Modi strongly believed the film should remain culturally honest rather than........

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