National Award can make the road ahead a bit smoother for me, says Khisa's director Raj More

Helmer Raj Pritam More has won the National Award for Best Directorial Debut for his short film Khisa (2020). The prestigious awards were announced on Monday.

The short film is about the loss of innocence that reflects the harsh reality of today's polarized times.

Even after becoming a successful painter, my primary interest was filmmaking, says Raj More

More told Cinestaan that he was delighted about winning the coveted award. "Every filmmaker wishes to win a National Award," he said.

The filmmaker, a respected contemporary visual artist, said the award has given him a lot of confidence. "This was my first film and I had invested the past two years in it. It had won many awards at various international festivals but after it got selected for the International Film Festival of India this year, I realized that there was a chance that we could win the National Award. I can't contain my happiness. I would also like to thank my team, especially my DOP and the editor for having full faith in my vision. I was a newcomer, and they were experienced technicians, but still, they showed confidence in me and backed me all the way."

This announcement couldn't have come at a better time for More,  as he is planning to pitch his next feature film script to producers. "This National Award can make the road ahead a little smoother for someone like me who has no background in filmmaking. Because when you get the tag of 'National Award-winning director' people welcome you and are more willing to listen to your script narrations."

Khisa is about a Class 4 student who decides to get a large pocket stitched on his school shirt. He is proud of his pocket because it sets him apart from the rest of the schoolchildren. But his seemingly innocent action has far-reaching political implications for the adults of his village.