Uploaded July 2020 | Updated September 2026, 7 hours ago
The politics and aesthetics of the Launda Naach folk tradition and the legacy of Bhikhari Thakur - the Shakespeare of Bhojpuri, through its oldest performers. Winner of Awards at Boston, Delhi and Jakarta and screened at over fifteen festivals, including at Burlington, Goa, Kathmandu, Kolkata, Moscow and Seoul.
Directed by Jainendra Kumar Dost and Shilpi Gulati | 2017
Producer and Commissioning Editor: Rajiv Mehrotra
Shilpi Gulati is a Delhi based filmmaker whose body of work largely engages with gender, identity and oral narratives of regional communities in India. Her films Qissa-e Parsi and Taala te Kunjee have won National Awards. Shilpi is also an actor and workshop facilitator with Pandies' Theatre Group that works on creating theatre with women and young adults.
Jainendra Kumar Dost's work examines the social and political realities of Launda Nach and Bhikhari Thakur's folk theatre in Bihar. His theoretical inquiry closely ties into his experience as a theatre practitioner over two decades of experience. Jainendra is also the Director of Bhikhari Thakur Repertory Training and Research Centre, which work towards the revival of folk theatre in Bihar.
Rajiv Mehrotra is the founding Managing Trustee and Commissioning Editor of PSBT - his films have won more than 300 awards worldwide, including 32 in 31 years from the President of India. His nine books are available in 50 languages and editions. He serves as the Trustee/ Secretary of the Foundation for Universal Responsibility of HH the Dalai Lama (For more, see en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rajiv_Mehrotra).
PSBT was a not-for-profit that has nurtured and supported the production of independent documentary films by a diversity of filmmakers from across India. Over two decades, it produced close to 700 documentary films, each film averaging two film festival selections and every second film an award. (Read more here: www.psbt.org, civilsocietyonline.com/cinema/psbt-story-630-films-230-awards-400-filmmakers/, psbt.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/OnGlobalScreens-Article.pdf, thehindu.com/features/cinema/in-the-channels-of-trust/article3942019.ece, psbt.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/PSBT-Real-Films-on-Real-India.jpg)
PSBT was led by some of India's iconic film personalities - Adoor Gopalakrishnan, Mrinal Sen, Shyam Benegal, Sharmila Tagore, with Fali Nariman and Kiran Karnik. From its inception in 2000, Tulika Srivastava was a key member of the Team, joined in 2005, by Ridhima Mehra.
Credits
Cinematographer: Udit Khurana
Sound Recordist: Varun Venugopal
Editor: Shilpi Gulati
Music: Bhikhari Thakur Repertory
Researcher: Jainendra Dost
Translators: Lourdes Mary Supriya, Jainendra Dost
Assistant Director: Vishwa Gulati
Produced by PSBT, for and in partnership with Doordarshan India.
psbt.org/; ddindia.gov.in
For festival and screening queries, please write to us at distribution@psbt.org
Last updated: June 2020
The politics and aesthetics of the Launda Naach folk tradition and the legacy of Bhikhari Thakur - the Shakespeare of Bhojpuri, through its oldest performers. Winner of Awards at Boston, Delhi and Jakarta and screened at over fifteen festivals, including at Burlington, Goa, Kathmandu, Kolkata, Moscow and Seoul.
Directed by Jainendra Kumar Dost and Shilpi Gulati | 2017
Producer and Commissioning Editor: Rajiv Mehrotra
Shilpi Gulati is a Delhi based filmmaker whose body of work largely engages with gender, identity and oral narratives of regional communities in India. Her films Qissa-e Parsi and Taala te Kunjee have won National Awards. Shilpi is also an actor and workshop facilitator with Pandies' Theatre Group that works on creating theatre with women and young adults.
Jainendra Kumar Dost's work examines the social and political realities of Launda Nach and Bhikhari Thakur's folk theatre in Bihar. His theoretical inquiry closely ties into his experience as a theatre practitioner over two decades of experience. Jainendra is also the Director of Bhikhari Thakur Repertory Training and Research Centre, which work towards the revival of folk theatre in Bihar.
Rajiv Mehrotra is the founding Managing Trustee and Commissioning Editor of PSBT - his films have won more than 300 awards worldwide, including 32 in 31 years from the President of India. His nine books are available in 50 languages and editions. He serves as the Trustee/ Secretary of the Foundation for Universal Responsibility of HH the Dalai Lama (For more, see en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rajiv_Mehrotra).
PSBT was a not-for-profit that has nurtured and supported the production of independent documentary films by a diversity of filmmakers from across India. Over two decades, it produced close to 700 documentary films, each film averaging two film festival selections and every second film an award. (Read more here: www.psbt.org, civilsocietyonline.com/cinema/psbt-story-630-films-230-awards-400-filmmakers/, psbt.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/OnGlobalScreens-Article.pdf, thehindu.com/features/cinema/in-the-channels-of-trust/article3942019.ece, psbt.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/PSBT-Real-Films-on-Real-India.jpg)
PSBT was led by some of India's iconic film personalities - Adoor Gopalakrishnan, Mrinal Sen, Shyam Benegal, Sharmila Tagore, with Fali Nariman and Kiran Karnik. From its inception in 2000, Tulika Srivastava was a key member of the Team, joined in 2005, by Ridhima Mehra.
Credits
Cinematographer: Udit Khurana
Sound Recordist: Varun Venugopal
Editor: Shilpi Gulati
Music: Bhikhari Thakur Repertory
Researcher: Jainendra Dost
Translators: Lourdes Mary Supriya, Jainendra Dost
Assistant Director: Vishwa Gulati
Produced by PSBT, for and in partnership with Doordarshan India.
psbt.org/; ddindia.gov.in
For festival and screening queries, please write to us at distribution@psbt.org
Last updated: June 2020
