SIKKIM: A hit outside Marwar

Gangtok, Sept. 13: After a successful week in Siliguri, Khoto Sikko, the first film in a language spoken by migrant Marwaris, is all set to be screened in Gangtok on September 21 and 23.

The Rs 22-lakh movie has been directed by Rakesh Somani and produced by his brother Rajesh Somani.

“This is the first film in the newly evolved Marwari language spoken by people who have migrated from Rajasthan over the years to all over the country and abroad. The language spoken by Marwaris living outside their traditional strongholds of Marwar in Rajasthan is totally different,” said Rakesh Somani.

Describing the the newly evolved dialect “migrated Marwari” or “common Marwari language”, the director said: “With the influence of different cultures and languages, particularly Hindi, a new face of Marwari language has emerged. The vocabulary and prosody is different when compared to the classical variants of the language spoken across Rajasthan. The differences are so marked that at times it becomes difficult for the migrated Marwaris to understand or relate to films made and released in Rajasthan. This is probably the reason why Marwari films do not do well outside the state. Khoto Sikko seeks to promote the versatile Marwari language and culture and prevent its gradual disappearance from the community.”
According him, the 2 hour 15 minute film is a family drama that revolves around the protagonist played by Rounak Somani. The movie has six songs.

Shooting for the film started in August last year.

“We completed the movie in January but we could not release it straightway as the distributors were unwilling to take risks on a film based on the new Marwari language for the first time,” said Rakesh.

In July, the film was screened for a week at a theatre in Siliguri. “We got good response during the 21 shows. Around 6,000 people watched and appreciated the movie,” he said.

After the screening in Gangtok on September 21 and 23, the film is scheduled to hit the theatres in Guwahati around mid-October.

“After Diwali we will screen the film in Jaipur and in Calcutta. Later we plan to show the movie in Delhi, Jodhpur and Ahmedabad as well,” Rajesh added.

The movie has been shot extensively in Sikkim. Editing was done in Gangtok while the final mixing was done in Mumbai.

“The main plot of the film is based on a popular Marwari proverb: Khoto sikko aur kapoot adi mahi kaam aawe (a useless coin and a spoilt brat are both useful in times of adversity),” said B.P. Bajgai, the assistant director.

“It is the first movie that has the potential of being a truly Marwari film in the present Indian context. We have already got good response from the community,” said Rakesh.

source; telegraph

Khoto Sikko’ music released, film to follow suit soon

GANGTOK, October 13: The music of the first-ever contemporary Marwari film with the evolved Marwari language spoken by the Marwari Diaspora was released today by Sikkim Forest minister Bhim Dhungel here at the Press Club of Sikkim (PCS) premises.A special screening of the Marwari film, ‘Khoto Sikko’ was also done at the Club premises for the journalists by a film maker of Sikkim.

According to the director-producer Rakesh Somani, the film ‘Khoto Sikko’ is the first ever Marwari feature film in the world and will be ready for release in the first week of September.“This is the first ever Marwari film in the new evolved Marwari language spoken by the Marwari Diaspora”, said Mr. Somani before the movie was screened. He explained that the Marwari language being spoken in the original areas of community in Rajasthan is different from the language being spoken by the community who has migrated in other areas of the nation.

“With the influence of various cultures and languages, particularly Hindi, a new face of Marwari language has emerged. This new spoken language that has evolved has a difference in both the vocabulary as well as the prosody when compared to the classical variants of Marwari language spoken in various parts of Rajasthan”, said Mr. Somani.The shooting of the film started on May 20 this year and will be released after Diwali. The film runs over two and half hours and has seven songs.

The movie has been shot in Sikkim and West Bengal and the star cast in the film is from Sikkim, West Bengal and Nepal. The male lead is played by upcoming model Rounak Somani with Sonia Seth, who is from Namchi in South Sikkim, is paired opposite him in the movie. Local journalists Joseph Lepcha, Bhim Rawat, Anand Oberoi and Sanjay Agarwal have also acted in the film while another local journalist BP Bajgai is the assistant director.The storyline of the ‘Khoto Sikko’ film is based on the popular Marwari proverb ‘Khoto Sikko, Kaput Beto, Ari Mahi Kaam Awa’ meaning ‘a useless coin, a spoilt brat helps in adversity’, said BP Bajgai, the assistant director.

The filmmaker said that the prospect of enjoying the full-length feature film in ‘common’ Marwari is a dream for most Marwari films. He highlighted that it is through dramas and films that the upcoming generation will be interested to their language.“Although the artistes in the film are new but they have given their hundred percent and their good work is reflected in the film”, said Mr. Somani.