A team of young filmmakers Aaliya Bashir, Abdullah Danish, Mudasir Hussain, Nazrana Tramboo, Sadaf Bushra and Zahid Rafiq from Media Education Research Centre enthusiastic enough to make a dream debut in film making, under the able guidance of Farooq A Lone, Producer Educational Multimedia Research Centre, University of Kashmir, took up a challenge. And the promising film makers demonstrated that given a chance they can do wonders in the world of aesthetics. Call any aspect of Production and they tried their hands on it. Research/Script/Sound/Supervision. The students worked like strings of Santoor, each contributing to the tonal quality of the product. Tribute to the makers of Santoor and an ode to Kashmiri dulcimer-Santoor.Early days in media and intelligent enough to work out the layered structure of a 10 minute film on Santoor. Whichever way you look at this film,  it is a laudable effort. The film documents the history, anatomy and future of Santoor-the musical instrument which has over the years, become symbolic of mystic or Kashmiri Sufiyana music. Good camera work by Gulzar with remarkable silhouettes and editing by Shahnawaz Shah shows us what it means to bring a soulful script to life on editing table. To me the most appreciable feature of the film is that it has brought into focus the plight of Santoor makers who remain in obscurity. The film documents a thought provoking assertion that the traditional sufiana instrument of Kashmir is not only about the legacy of Pundit Shivkumar Sharma and Sopuri Gharanas. It is as much about Zazs. Ghulam Muhammed Zaz humbly narrates the  contribution of Santoor makers like him, who over the generations, have been manufacturing the strings of mysticism and maintaining, “100 strings then and 100 strings now”. Santoor maestros introduces it far and wide but nobody appreciates those magicians who produce such magical strings. Shots of children and women playing Santoor portrays the penchant for Santoor and generates optimism about its future. What is distinguishing about this film is that the young makers have maintained the tempo till the climax. Complementing the striking visuals and balmy Santoor is some obscure young bard whose script is truly an Ode to dulcimer of Kashmir “A bondless delight for lovers of music but for the players and makers they are nothing but lifeless, fruitless hammer strokes.” And the title song in Kashmiri at the climax is melodious enough to stir the strings of your soul like a Sanwun Santoor-transcendent Dulcimer. Full marks for documenting Soz-e-Dil Alam
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Lastupdate on : Sun, 17 Jan 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Sun, 17 Jan 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Mon, 18 Jan 2010 00:00:00 IST