Theatre director Anamika Haksar's award-winning debut feature, Ghode Ko Jalebi Khilane Le Ja Riya Hoon, finally hits the silver screen on June 10. The film that had its World Premiere at the Mumbai International Film Festival was slated for a 2020 release, delayed due to the pandemic.
The project stars several actors like Ravindra Sahu, Raghubir Yadav, Lokesh Jain and K Gopalan. It follows the lives of four main characters—a pickpocket, a vendor of sweet and savoury snacks, a labourer-activist, and a conductor of 'Heritage Walks'.
"It's a great feeling, but I am anxious because it is a small film competing with big projects like Samrat Prithviraj and Jurassic Park, said Haksar to DH.
"While I worry if people will indeed come to see the film, it is a big milestone for Indie filmmakers. Independent filmmakers often don't get the opportunity to release their work. So that's certainly a cause for celebration."
Interestingly, the film's title has a quirky story behind it.
When Haksar was young, her aunt told her how a tongawallah in Old Delhi once refused to give her a ride because "Ghode ko jalebi khilane le ja riya hun. Abhi nahi ruk sakta hun" (I am taking the horse to eat jalebis. I cannot stop now!)
Like the story behind the title, the film is also set in Old Delhi and has its eccentricities. The visions of Old Delhi, its British and Mughal history, migrants to the city, the culture and music of the Old City, Haksar's ancestral house and her theatre experiences come together in Ghode Ko Jalebi Khilane Le Jaa Riya Hoon.
"The film talks about universality while offering a glimpse into the lives of ordinary people without pity and with dark humour," said Haksar. "It focuses on their dreams, hopes, fears, and happiness and takes a social view of their lives, not just an economic one."
In the film, a female vegetable seller recalls how she sees her vegetables on fire in her dreams. And in that fire, she sees the faces of her grandchildren and remembers her village.
"Post pandemic, these insecurities and fears have come to the fore for all of us. So releasing the film now makes it more relevant."
Ghode Ko Jalebi Khilane Le Ja Riya Hoon was the only Indian film selected for the exclusive New Frontier section at Sundance Film Festival 2019 and has travelled to more than 35 international and Indian festivals.
Did Haksar lose hope when her project wasn't picked up by distributors sooner?
"The team is elated that Platoon One Films took it up, but we are still very tense yet happy that the film is finally making it to the theatres and that people would be able to see it in its full glory rather than on OTT," said Haksar. "I hope that the film reaches some people and the audience sees the hard work we have all put in."
Ghode Ko Jalebi Khilane Le Ja Riya Hoon is produced by Gutterati Productions.
(Gurpreet Kaur is a journalist who writes on lifestyle, entertainment and culture)