(Update: Event at the Hilt – Meet the Real Heroes: Doctor Prakash Amte and Doctor Manda Amte on Sunday 13th September 2015)
When do you get to see a Hampshire film premiere in Chandler’s Ford?
Tonight, my family will be attending the Hampshire premiere of the Hindi film Hemalkasa by Samruddhi Porey at Hiltingbury Community Centre (The Hilt) at 7.30pm.
The director, producer, and funder of the film Samruddhi Porey will also be attending. She will be holding a Q&A at the end of the movie.
The venue can only sit 150 people for the film. It’s a rare opportunity and if you would like a taste of Indian films, don’t miss this award-winning Hindi film Hemalkasa tonight.
Why is Hemalkasa coming to Chandler’s Ford?
The film is brought to The Hilt, thanks to the India Welfare Forum and Dr Ashok Rokade of Chandler’s Ford.
Like me, you may be wondering why Chandler’s Ford is chosen as the location for the Hampshire film premiere.
Incredible link: Chandler’s Ford to India
Trustee of The Hilt Roger Clark told me an interesting link of Chandler’s Ford to the film.
Hemalkasa is based on the true story of Dr. Prakash Baba Amte and his wife Dr. Mandakini Amte. They dedicated their lives to a project for the development of tribal people of Maharashtra in India.
In the early nineties, Dr Ashok Rokade worked a sabbatical at the Hemalkasa hospital and his friendship with Dr Prakash Amte developed. The people and the project shown in the film is close to Dr Rokade’s heart, so he is bringing the film to Chandler’s Ford tonight.
The Indian delights
Before, during the interval, and after the film tonight, there will be sales of Indian snacks. One snack is a typical fare from the region being portrayed in the movie – a kind of potato burger.
Drinks will include tea and coffee. Ice creams will feature in the interval. Alcohol will not be permitted or sold. Part of the sales will be donated to the Hemalkasa project.
The cost tonight is £10 for adults. All of which will go to the hospital in Hemalkasa to buy medicines and equipment to support the community.
Car parking will be tight as there is an Indian birthday party happening in the Scout Hut. If you can then please walk.
The interval will be at 80 mins and the second part of the movie will be 56 mins.
Film classification, anyone?
Roger also told me that as the movie has not been released anywhere yet so he couldn’t advise a classification. There will be family groups there tonight with the children sitting on the floor at the front.
Roger said, “Be aware that there will be small scenes of violence, others of emotional content and yes some field hospital scenes. Also lot of warm fuzzy moments and humour.”
Make sure you stay through the credits as there some original photos that are really worth seeing.
Being a Premiere Movie the dress code is, as it was in London for the UK two days ago, smart casual.
Update 20th July 2014:
A big thank you to residents of Chandler’s Ford for your wholehearted support to the premiere of the movie-Hemlkasa. All the funds raised would go in support of the hospital project at Hemalkasa in India.
I am glad that you enjoyed this inspirational movie, which delivers a universal message of Humanity!
We are proud to host the film premiere by internationally acclaimed director (Samruddhi Porey) and one of the most popular Bollywood stars (Nana Patekar)!
Dear Dr. Ashok Rokade,
Thank you for bringing the film to Chandler’s Ford. It was an eye-opening experience. It was also a wonderful opportunity to see how vibrant the Indian community is in this area.
It was an evening to remember – inspiring film, lovely food and atmosphere. Please keep us up to date with information about the hospital project and the film. Thank you.
I watched this Hindi movie Hemalkasa at the Hampshire premiere last night and was moved.
This is a true inspirational story of Dr Amte and the great work that he has been doing for so many years and now joined by new generations.
I remember a parable in the Bible Jesus talked about the mustard seed, that it is the smallest as seed, but when it grows it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so birds of the air come and make nest in its branch.
Dr Amte also started with near to nothing but now the work he started flourishes and is beneficial to people in need.
God bless his mission.
Manish,
The film moves people at different levels. The humility shown by Dr Amte, his wife and his small team in the deep forest is very powerful.
It is very easy to turn a heart-warming story like this into an over-sentimental film, but I think the director got it right and managed her story-telling beautifully. The film is inspiring, as it allows us to see the humility of Dr Amte and his team, their empathy with the tribal people, and how it took years for them to earn the trust from the tribal people, who were not ‘civilised’ in many of their practices. For example, they believed in sacrificing children to cure another human being.
The film also carefully examines an issue: should people from one culture intervene with the way of life of another culture? Why, and why not?
Indeed, Janet it was powerful. What is shown in the movie is humanity, dedication, commitment. Amongst thousands of doctors who pass and go forward with their career, one man stands up to do just the right thing to serve where no one ever had thought of.
It’s not right to intervene in other people’s culture and beliefs but if their beliefs are wrong and people need to know the truth. I think people can intervene to an extent.
There are some very moving and humorous moments in the film.
How do you communicate with people who don’t speak the same language and who may not understand your concepts? How do you build trust? The Madia language spoken by the Madia Gond tribe is not well recorded, and to work in an area filled with superstitions must have been unbelievably challenging.
The moving part is that both sides are changed in the end. The doctors learnt ways to communicate with the tribal group to be able to help them, to live in the same community with them. The openness of the tribe and their total respect to the doctors, in the end, showed that they have finally accepted the ‘foreign’ invasion. That makes harmony possible.
The animals in the film are absolutely astonishing. They form a parallel world to the main storyline, in which we see life, death, peace and sadness.
True. It is difficult to adapt to change in life and sudden invasion of unknown people in life and community. It’s a challenge to adapt/accept change.
It is difficult to communicate with differences in language. There was a good communication skill in the movie about telling the patient to take a tablet in the afternoon, when the sun comes up above the patient’s head.
It was intelligent.
It is amazing how they manage to live with the wild animals as pets.
I emailed Dr Prakash Amte today to congratulate him for his good work and to ask him what kind of help he needs so I can help in any way. He replied to me and he said his son will contact me soon.
It was nice to hear from him today via email.
Manish,
I learned from Roger Clark that in the film premiere yesterday, over £600 was raised for the Hemalkasa Hospital for Tribals to buy medicines and equipment.
I’m pleased to know that the tickets we paid for and the gorgeous food we had at the interval (what an unusual film experience!) can go a long way from England to help a remote area in India for Lok Biradari Prakalp (Hemalkasa Hospital).
Credits go to Dr Amte, the very talented and compassionate director Samruddhi Porey, Dr Ashok Rokade from Chandler’s Ford who sponsored the event, London Indian Film Festival (LIFF), and India Welfare Forum. This film is a great achievement for the Indian community and we were so lucky to get to see the film and got totally inspired by the Indian culture and the magnificent human spirit.