Padam Singh and Heera Devi, two octogenarians from a remote village in Uttarakhand, are gearing up for a monumental experience as they attend the world premiere of director Vinod Kapri’s film Pyre in Estonia. This marks not only their debut on the international film stage but also their first-ever airplane journey and foreign trip.
The duo, along with Kapri, are en route to Tallinn, where Pyre will be showcased on Tuesday at the prestigious Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival 2024. Selected for the Official Competition section, the film is described as a poignant tale of enduring love set against the backdrop of a fading village.
Inspired by a real-life elderly couple Kapri encountered in 2017 in Munsyari, a village grappling with migration, Pyre delves into the lives of an 80-something couple who remain in their mountain home as younger generations move away to urban centers. After meeting around 20 elderly villagers, Kapri chose Singh and Devi for their compelling presence, bringing an authentic touch to his heartfelt narrative.
"My only concern was that they must not be shy, they should be confident about facing the camera," Vinod Kapri told PTI.
The director shared that during his search, he was nearly misunderstood as someone stalking elderly women, which led to the villagers confronting him once they discovered what he was up to. "Then, I told them that I’m a filmmaker, that I want to make a film, I’m looking for local actors. I told them I’m also from Uttarakhand, I spoke to them in Kumaoni language. I found Heera Devi in that crowd of villagers. People told her what was going on. That’s when she said 'Yes, I’ll do it. I’ll become a heroine! I was floored by Devi’s confidence," he added.
Devi said that she was initially scared about acting in front of the camera. "I also didn’t feel like doing it at one point of time. But my children encouraged me. Then, Vinod ji also helped a lot. After that, it all went well," she stated. Singh, a retired Indian Army soldier, and Devi, a farmer, both from Berinag Tehsil in Uttarakhand's Pithoragarh district, had no prior acting experience before being cast in the film.
Kapri took to X and shared a photo of Singh and Devi along with a video of his two stars being escorted into the airport on wheelchairs."#AamaBubu of #Uttarakhand. Off to #Tallinn @TallinnBNFF Their first flight Journey, First foreign trip. World premiere of @PyreFilm!" he wrote in the post.
#AamaBubu of #UttarakhandOff to #Tallinn @TallinnBNFFTheir first flight Journey, First foreign tripWorld premiere of @PyreFilm ! pic.twitter.com/MhsCMMjZ2x Vinod Kapri (@vinodkapri) November 18, 2024
The director also posted a picture of the duo smiling for the camera as they sat in the plane. Asked how their first plane journey was, Devi and Singh said they enjoyed their trip. Singh said he had only read about international cities like Kabul and Kandahar in books but he got an opportunity to see them quite closely while sitting in a plane. He is also confident that the film will receive a good response at the premiere on Tuesday.
Kapri shared that during the filming of Pyre, Singh, who is currently undergoing chemotherapy for prostate cancer, would often ask him whether he would live long enough to see the film. The director expressed that Singh would fulfill his dream in the next 24 hours by watching his film on the big screen with an international audience.
Pyre is the sole Indian film competing in the Official Competition category at the renowned Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, held annually in Estonia's capital. Directed by Kapri, the film has been independently produced by him and his wife, Sakshi Joshi, under Bhagirathi Films. The movie features a song written by the legendary lyricist Gulzar. The festival, which began on November 8, will wrap up on November 24.
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