Raipur: Acclaimed filmmaker Dhruva Harsh’s debut feature film “Elham” screened in Jagran Film Festival, Raipur on Sunday at PVR City Mall, Raipur.
“Elham” tells the poignant tale of Faizan, a young boy from a deprived Muslim weaver family, and his delicate bond with a goat named Dodu. Set in the picturesque village of Dariyabad, Barabanki, the film explores Faizan’s struggle to save Dodu from sacrifice on Bakrid. With its perfect blend of Hindi and Awadhi dialect, “Elham” showcases the beauty of Awadh.
Shot beautifully by cinematographer Ankur Rai and musically designed and produced by Vickey Prasad, “Elham” is an empathetic tale that highlights the power of faith and compassion. As an independent filmmaker based in Mumbai, Dhruva Harsh aims to educate people through cinema and philosophy.
In an era where children’s films have become a rarity, Dhruva Harsh takes a bold step towards reviving this genre with “Elham”. Noting the scarcity of compassionate storytelling in contemporary cinema, Harsh aims to fill this void with his film.
“Children’s films have the power to shape young minds and foster empathy,” says Dhruva Harsh. “However, the decline in audience interest and the commercial viability of such films have led to a significant decrease in their production. I believe it’s essential to revive this genre, and ‘Elham’ is my humble attempt to do so.”
“Elham” has already made waves at international film festivals, including the 24th Dhaka International Film Festival, Bangladesh (2023), 23rd Rainbow International Film Festival, London, UK, and International Film Festival of Shimla, Himachal Pradesh. The film has also been officially selected as the opening film at the 11th Kolkata International Children’s Film Festival.
A PhD holder from the University of Allahabad on “The Mahabharata in Contemporary Indian English Novel”, Dhruva Harsh pursuing Post-Doctoral studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi.
