Garhwal Post Bureau
New Delhi, 28 Dec: On the occasion of the 102nd Foundation Day of Garhwal Bhawan—a symbol of pride for the Uttarakhand diaspora in the National Capital Region—the Jaunsari language film, “Maire Gaon Ki Baat”, was declared the Best Uttarakhand Film for the years 2023 and 2024. The producer-director of the film was felicitated with the “Garh Gaurav Veer Chandra Singh Garhwali Award–2025”.
The award was conferred in recognition of the film’s powerful cinematic portrayal of Jaunsari cultural heritage, social structure, and values.
Speakers on the occasion stated that regional films of Uttarakhand have played a significant role in giving national recognition to the state’s diverse folk languages, cultural traditions, social realities, and regional issues. The growth of such cinema has also created new employment opportunities for writers, lyricists, musicians, artists, technicians, and cinema-related professionals.
“Maire Gaon Ki Baat” is the first film made in the Jaunsari language. It was released in cinemas across Uttarakhand, Delhi, and Himachal Pradesh on 5 December 2024 and ran houseful for nearly one and a half months. The film received widespread appreciation from all sections of society. Set against the mountainous backdrop of Jaunsar, its strong storyline, impactful screenplay, excellent music and songs, and refined direction make it a significant achievement in the cinema of Uttarakhand’s folk languages. The film presents a balanced blend of emotion, humour, drama, and the rich traditions of hill culture. Its sensitive depiction of women’s dignity and the still-relevant joint family system stands out as a special achievement.
Produced under the banner of Sumikal Production, the film is presented by KS Chauhan, written and directed by Anuj Joshi, with Abhinav Singh Chauhan in the lead role. Lyrics are by Shyam Singh Chauhan, and music is composed by Amit V Kapoor.
Notably, at the Second Uttarakhand Film Awards 2025, “Maire Gaon Ki Baat” was also honoured with a Special Jury Mention Award for its strong subject matter, emotional presentation, and realistic portrayal of rural life. This recognition stands as testimony to the creative efforts of the entire film team and their commitment to presenting Uttarakhand’s cultural heritage through cinema.
Garhwal Hitaisini Sabha, Delhi, constituted a distinguished panel of filmmakers, actors, theatre artists, and litterateurs, which selected films that have made notable contributions to Uttarakhand cinema. The panel unanimously chose “Maire Gaon Ki Baat”, the first Jaunsari-language film, for this prestigious honour.
From the same platform, the Garhwali-language film “Meru Gau” was honoured as the Best Film in 2023. By conferring this prestigious award upon the first Jaunsari-language film, Garhwal Hitaisini Sabha expressed a sense of pride. This honour will be remembered as a historic milestone—not only for Jaunsari cinema, but also for the preservation, promotion, and recognition of Uttarakhand’s rich folk culture as a whole.
