Celebrating the craftsmenship of unsung heroes from India's Pratapgarh district in Rajasthan state, 'Thewa', a film by filmmaker, photographer, writer and jury member Shivani Pandey, is an hour-long documentary which will witness artisans share anecdotes about their journeys and their skills.
With origins that date back to the Rajput era, the term 'Thewa' describes a unique art which involves fragile sheets of gold embossed on coloured glass that create unique designs.
Speaking about what the film entails, Pandey said, "With the support of an institution like Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA), a rare art like Thewa is being preserved as it is. There is a great chance that such arts might not survive for long without due patronage. And so their preservation and conservation is an important task."
The documentary hopes to showcase why women in the family are not taught this art, what needs to be done to preserve and promote the art, what are their expectations from the state and central Government, etc.
'Thewa' has already found trememdous reviews in the fraternity. Commenting on how a unique art is being brought to light through the film, writer Malvika Joshi exclaimed that arts and culture can be preserved through such films. Former member Central Board of Film Certification, Atul Gangwar opined that films based on such arts and culture from other states should be made for the Indian audiences. Founder and former senior advisor for DD Kisan, Naresh Sirohi praised the film for it's thorough research and production.
