By Arun Pratap Singh
Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 13 Dec: After the inaugural session of the Crime Literature Festival of India on Friday evening, the opening session was a discussion on the films of national award-winning film director Ketan Mehta, between Mehta and the Festival Director and former DGP Aloke Lal, which was themed, ‘From Mirch Masala to Manjhi’ -Ketan Mehta’s lens on injustice’. It was quite an interesting discussion in which Lal raised several pertinent questions on the portrayal of anguish and aggression triggered by long-term oppression by powerful people in Ketan Mehta’s films. Lal also pointed out that Mehta’s films focus on injustice, particularly in his films like Mirch Masala and Manjhi and his debut film Bhavni Bhavai.
During the discussion, Mehta reflected on his long artistic journey, recalling how his formative years at the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), his stint in television and his deep engagement with the folk theatre traditions of Gujarat eventually shaped his cinematic sensibility. Describing the path in his own words, Mehta said that each stage opened a new window into understanding people, society and storytelling.
Looking back at his FTII years in Pune, Mehta said that the institute was his first real exposure to the world of cinema as a disciplined craft. “FTII was a revelation,” he remembered. He realised that films are not merely entertainment but a powerful language of expression. “We argued about films endlessly, we watched everything we could, and we learnt to question what stories should be told and how.” He credited those years with sharpening his political awareness and nurturing his instinct to examine structures of power through visual narratives.
After graduating, Mehta joined Doordarshan as a television producer at a time when the medium was still in its early, exploratory phase. He said television gave him a different understanding of audiences. During his days in TV, he visited villages and interacted with villagers who were often victims of casteist discrimination and violence, which he felt was very deep-rooted in the past and still exists. He added that working in TV made him realise the responsibility of communicating clearly and honestly. He also added that the experience strengthened his interest in documenting real people and social realities.
Mehta said his most profound creative influence came from the folk theatre and vibrant performance traditions of Gujarat, where he grew up. The colours, the music and the earthiness of Bhavai and other folk forms stayed with him. He added that although most folk theatre shows projected happy endings, he was not always satisfied with happy endings because in real life there are no happy ending in many cases. Lal reminded Mehta that he always felt that there had been a deep impact of theatre on his films.
Mehta said that when he made Bhavani Bhavai and later Mirch Masala, he felt he was finally able to merge formal cinematic technique with the oral storytelling traditions that had inspired him since childhood. Reflecting on his career as a whole, Mehta said the journey has always been guided by curiosity and the urge to question. Mehta further observed that major crimes have been committed by governments and administrative systems against society and described the Partition of India as one of the biggest crimes against humans in entire history.
Speaking about his film Sardar, he reminded that it was written by noted playwright Vijay Tendulkar. But he insisted that this film was not a biopic on Sardar Patel but portrayed what happened during the times of Patel.
Responding to a question by Lal whether the commercialisation of art began with noted painter Raja Ravi Verma, as he was the first to get his paintings printed and sell them on a mass scale, Mehta said that in his opinion, it was not commercialisation but democratisation of art as it gave access to the art to the common people. They were discussing Mehta’s film Rang Rasia which was based on life of renowned painter Raja Ravi Verma.
