Acclaimed Producer-Director-Writer Pushpendra Albe’s Film Joothan recieved thunderous applause during it’s Special Screening In New Delhi Yesterday night (March 9). The Special Screening was held at India’s capital’s prestigious Harkishan Singh Surjit Auditorium in the presence of media, critics and top most prominent thinkers, socialists and philosophers of Dalit Community.
Among the high profile attendants were Dalit Philosopher Dr. Prabhakar Nisargandh, Shri Shilbodi, Dr. Rampratap Neeraj, Shri Ramesh Bhangi, popular Malyalam film lyricst Mradula Devi and many others.
Joothan talks about India’s most sensitive topic – caste discrimination In Education! Starring Devesh Ranjan In lead role, the film is produced by Pushpendra Albe and Nikil Pranav R company Adopt A School Films. The film also features Naresh Kumar, Vikram Singh, Sandeep Gupta, Kuldeep Kumar and Dinesh Sharma In pivotal roles, while actress Rimjhim Rajput has played female lead role against Devesh Ranjan.
Devesh Ranjan’s Impressive filmography includes award winning Bhor, as well as an Hollywood Film Vaara. Naresh Kumar, meanwhile, has acted in blockbuster Bahubali franchise.
“The sad reality is that despite government’s noble, good intended efforts, caste discrimination still exists, especially in rural India. It has also to be said that School education in India is a major site of class and caste struggle – where the poor from marginalized social categories inch towards a future of justice, prosperity and equity, with great difficulty. How we shape our educational system is the key to how fast we can emerge as a modern, developed nation” Albe said during media Interaction before the film screening.
Albe said that during the research for the project, some of the facts shocked him big time.
“Like, as per Oxfam, the dropout rates of students belonging to SC, ST and OBC community is higher than other categories. 75 per cent of more than six million students who dropped out of school are either Dalits, Muslims or Adivasis. Moreover, four out of five female teachers and one out of four male teachers belong to upper-class sections. These facts are shocking and proves that even though lower-caste students get a seat in schools and colleges, the casteist environment makes it difficult for them to survive. Along with reservation, there is a need to make the institutions anti-caste by building an education system that is based on equality and revolution” he opined.
So, as Albe emphasized, for India to moving forward in true sense, caste discrimination has to be erased from the society.
“Well, it is crystal clear that the magic bullet, if any, will have to be transformative education for India, and not single-minded economic growth. The ‘benign neglect’ of school education post-independence has adversely impacted the well-being of generations of Indians, and we do not have much time at hand” he concluded.
After watching the film, everyone was in awe of the unique concept.
Popular Malyalam lyricst Mradula Devi said “I had goosebumps watching the film. It’s an eye opener. Every Indian must watch the film, which talks highly about equality in Education, irrespective of caste and religion!
