Brina is Himachal’s first film on polyandry, says director Pawan Kumar Sharma

Pawan Kumar Sharma has roped in Sanjay Mishra, Aditya Srivastava, Yashpal Sharma, Neeraj Sood, Rajesh Jais and Mandakani Goswami for his first feature film, Brina. The title refers to the practice of polyandry in Himachal Pradesh. 

As per a press note shared by the makers, Brina is based on a folk tale depicting the plight of minors who are married off to elderly men for money and the polyandry system, which is prevalent in prevailing in the interiors of Himachal Pradesh. 

Speaking about the film, Sharma said in a statement, “Brina is Himachal’s first film based on the subject of polyandry. I wanted a folk tale that would not just be a documentary but also be meaningful in today’s context. This film urges us to save girls. If the number of girls’ decrease, these evil practices will come back. The name of this misdeed is Brina i.e. loan for marriage and buying the girl and marrying her to the eldest brother. She would also be the wife of all the brothers. This practice was seen in many parts of the country and abroad and in many places, it’s still there.” 

Sharma said that in the film, young boys and girls protest and dedicate their lives to ending this practice. "The people backing polyandry say that they have very little land to cultivate, and if all the brothers get married and have children, what will they have to eat. My aim is just to make people aware of this.” 

Sharma has been acquainted with the cast for some time. “We have all come from drama; our root is theatre. We all worked together passionately. We used to shoot scenes after giving suggestions to each other. I will always cherish this for the rest of my life,” he said. 

The makers have said that Brina will soon be released on television and an OTT platform.