Title of film : Kosa
Director Name : Mohit Priyadarshi
Cast & crew :
Producer : Mohit Priyadarshi
Editor : Davis P Manuel
Cast :
Synopsis : Kosa is a 17-year-old Adivasi schoolboy living in the forested hinterlands of Chhattisgarh with his father Sangram and sister Soni. One day, Sangram tasks Kosa with selling one of their goats. As the only means of transport here is on foot, Kosa leaves his home early one morning in the hope that he’d be able come back before dusk settles. However, he never returns. He’s kidnapped – not arrested – by two plainclothes policemen. A farcical trial follows where he’s charged with extremely serious crimes because his name is supposed to be similar to a Maoist commander operating in the region!
Director Bio : Mohit Priyadarshi is a JNU and FTII alumnus with a deep-rooted need to tell stories. He published his first novel at the age of 17, and during his college years at DU studying literature, he won several writing prizes. It was also the time which felicitated a profound interaction with the cinematic medium, which is what pushed him to pursue Film Studies at JNU and later scriptwriting at FTII. After passing out, Mohit worked with an array of local and international media outlets, also teaching Film at MIT Pune. He divided his time between writing and researching on the field, while also curating small-scale film festivals. He covered the 2016 U.S. presidential elections for an American news outlet, following which he found the story which would motivate him to make his first film. During one of this extensive field trips to Chhattisgarh, he became a bit all too familiar with the plight of the Adivasis. Caught between ultra-left insurgents and state forces trying to suppress them, he realized innocent Adivasis were facing the worst brunt of this battle. He saw first-hand what a media black-hole the region had become, with virtually no news making its way to the mainstream media. With a heartfelt concern and passion to tell the true story of one such Adivasi boy, Mohit delved into the deep-end of the independent filmmaking abyss. With no actual producers to back his vision, he had to somehow make do with the often-crippling budgetary constraints. He used his own savings to begin working on the film. With the help of crowdfunding and a dedicated crew who helped him all the way, forgoing even their own fees. Mohit is finally close to seeing his first feature film come to fruition at the age of 30.
Filmography :
