National Award-winning
filmmaker Sriram Dalton is one of the rarest filmmakers in our times, who has
successfully managed to incorporate the beauty of nature, region, culture, and
people, and lace it with social messaging, without getting caricaturist.
Sriram’s first
feature, Spring Thunder, which dwells deep into politics, corruption, and mining
of natural resources, has won praises from intellectuals like filmmaker Shyam
Benegal, Anubhav Sinha, Anurag Kashyap, Ravish Kumar, and more for its
need-of-the-hour topic and gripping realistic narrative.
https://twitter.com/anuragkashyap72/status/1261731031096233984?t=8GivI638YF5z2ZJ9V-dQdw&s=08
https://twitter.com/anuragkashyap72/status/1261731031096233984?t=8daEc7xiSDAjW9rBwIMOWw&s=19
https://twitter.com/anubhavsinha/status/1262580905077608450?t=NnbN2C0jfaPYJ6wPljLyaA&s=08
https://fb.watch/iUr6j2fIKx/?mibextid=2Rb1fB
Spring
Thunder, caused a lot of stir for
exposing the corrupt political and mining culture which is destroying nature and putting natural waterways and dwellings at severe risk.
The film faced a
lot of trouble from politicians and the mafia, which lead the filmmaker to release
the film digitally rather than commercially. Talking about the film, Sriram
said, “I make films to create awareness. There is an incredible sense of
achievement in revealing the truth via cinematic landscape. Mining at the cost of destroying Natural
harmony and equilibrium is an issue. Ignoring the tribal community taking over
their land, water, and forest is an issue. It needed to be addressed, and I
did. I might have made some enemies on the way, people tried to derail my
movie, and even had its commercial release canceled, but I’ve always stood by my
principle, and I will remain to do so. The film is out and making its own path
through people.”
Talking about his
National Award-winning project ‘The Lost Bharupiya’, Sriram said, “It is a beautiful film about traditional performing arts of India, Pakistan, Nepal, and
Bangladesh. But unfortunately, people practicing art are living in
horrifying poverty. I researched the subject and made a film, I feel proud as National Award is just a
reassurance that I am doing something substantial.”
Spring Thunder -
A fight for Jal Jungal Jameen comes loaded with a meaningful anthem, which is
fast gaining popularity.
The film is an
extension of Sriram’s initiative "Jal Jungle Jamin Humara Hain" for
spreading awareness about dying rivers of India with the idea of "Free
India Water.
The filmmaker had even walked for straight 120
days from Mumbai to Jharkhand, to create awareness about his film and his
initiative to save land, water, and forest.
Talking about his
future project, Sriram said, “I am working on a project which is, like my
earlier projects, very Desi, Very Local and yet very global. If things go as
planned, it would be something much bigger than my earlier projects. We’re just prepping right now, once I have
done my homework, I’d make the official announcement soon.”
Apart from Spring
Thunder and The Lost Behrupiya, filmmaker Sriram Dalton has also directed Nawazuddin Siddiqui for ‘OP Stop Smelling your Socks’.
Video Link for the interview - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jz-K5143e8&t=155s
Spring Thunder film link - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEe0A36ZuzE&t=2990s