Aahuti

Aahuti

Director

Lubdhak Chatterjee

 

Choreographer

Dr. Pompi Paul

 

Performers

Pompi Paul, Dipanjana Dutta, Debolina Dutta, Rimpa Dey

 

Sound Designer

Saugata Banerjee

 

Set Designer

Subhranil Ray, Lubdhak Chatterjee

 

Lighting Designer

Lubdhak Chatterjee

About the Film
The concept of Panchabhuta – 5 elements – is central to Indian speculative thought. A group of people, in a fictional space and time, performs a ritual to evoke the essence of these fundamental elements of existence. Mudras (hand gestures) become the vehicle in the act of offering whereas Naad (Sound) becomes pivotal in the exploration of life and beyond.

Aahuti Screen Grab

Biographies

Aahuti_Director Headshot_Lubdhak Chatterjee Web

Lubdhak ChatterjeeDirector

Lubdhak Chatterjee is an independent filmmaker, based in Kolkata and Delhi. His short film Aahuti premiered at International Film Festival Rotterdam 2020. He had earlier won Doordarshan film fellowships for his first non-fiction film Vaikhari, commissioned by PSBT India, and explored the world of rhythmic utterances in Hindustani Classical Dance and Music. Academically an engineer, he is intrigued by indigenous cultural practices, movement, and history which he wants to explore in his artistic pursuits. His films have been screened on various national and international platforms. Earlier he was a blogger at the Times of India.

Aahuti_Choreographer Headshot_Dr. Pompi Paul Web

Dr. Pompi Paul, Choreographer

Dr. Pompi Paul is an Odissi dancer from Jalpaiguri, West Bengal. After pursuing Kathak in her early childhood, she started Odissi lessons under the tutelage of Guru Poushali Mukherjee. She has done a Ph.D. in Odissi from Rabindra Bharati University and has performed in top national dance festivals like Uday Shankar Dance Festival, Swami Haridas Sammelan, etc. She runs her own dance school, Kalpodip, founded in 2008, in Jalpaiguri and since 2012 organizes the annual festival Kalpodip Utsav. At present, she is working as a dance teacher at ICCR Bali, Indonesia.

Director’s Note


I have always been intrigued by the ancient indigenous rituals in Indian philosophy. Such explorations acquainted me with how even over 3000 years ago, the ancient Indian wisdom had perceived the fundamentals of existence, which not only manifested in their rituals but became foundations of developing art forms as well. Such rituals became the connecting link between the mundane and the cosmic.