Aabobo Film Festival 2018: Devashish Makhija's films El'ayichi, Agli Baar to be screened on Day 3

The third day of the ongoing Aabobo Film Festival in Goa will be dedicated to films by Devashish Makhija, who was also featured as one of the panelists on Day 2 of the event. Makhija’s foray into cinema began with his work as a researcher and assistant director on Anurag Kashyap’s directorial debut, Black Friday (2007). He also worked as the chief assistant director on Shaad Ali’s Bunty Aur Babli. Six of Makhija’s films — Agli Baar, Ajji, Taandav, Abs Nt, Rahim Murge Pe Mat Ro and El’ayichi — are set to be screened on the last day of the festival. Makhija’s debut as a director came with his Hindi-Oriya film Oonga starring Nandita Das, Seema Biswas and Salim Kumar. [caption id=“attachment_5647351” align=“alignnone” width=“825”]  Devashish Makhija’s shorts Ajji (Left) and Taandav (Right) will be featured along with some of his works on the last day of the Aabobo Film Festival in Goa.[/caption] His 2015 work El’ayichi, which had Nimrat Kaur and Divyendu Sharma in the lead roles, was one among the five short films to be screened at the first edition of Terribly Tiny Talkies. His short film Ajji which premiered in India at the 19th Jio Mami Mumbai Film Festival speaks about rape, power and revenge in a corrupt society. It follows the story of Manda, who is raped by a local politician’s son and left to her fate in a garbage dump. While the parents of this girl struggle with societal stigma, it is her grandmother (ajji) who decides to take a stand. In the same vein, Agli Baar also delves into the predicaments of slum dwellers in the city. It follows the story of the residents of this shanty dwelling as they tackle the illegal demolition of their houses and attempt to take their case to court. Another of Makhija’s shorts, Taandav, which will be screened at the festival features acclaimed actor Manoj Bajpayee as constable Tambe, who after experiencing many rough days finally snaps right in the middle of the Ganpati utsav in the city, pulls out his gun and unleashes his innermost emotions. Bajpayee has also collaborated with Makhija for his film Bhonsale which was recently screened at the 20th edition of the Jio Mami Mumbai Film Festival. Also in the line-up for Day 3 is Makhija’s film Rahim Murge Pe Mat Ro, the autobiography of a rooster narrated by him from beyond the grave after he is butchered. The Aabobo Film Festival that is being held at the Museum of Goa will conclude with a screening of Makhija’s works on 2 December. The festival is organised by the Aabobo group, which is a collective created to promote Indie cinema and discuss the challenges it faces.