Kalichaat
In the Malwa-Nimar region of Western Madhya Pradesh (An Indian State), ‘Kalichaat’ is the name for a kind of exceptionally hard rock. Encountering it while digging for water is considered no less than a disaster in this ofteh drought-affected region. At the same time, it also presents a ray of hope because it is believed that beneath ‘Kalichaat’ lies boundless water, if it can be broken to reach it.
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Sudhanshu SharmaDirector
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Sunil ChaturvediWriter
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Sudhanshu SharmaProducer
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Prakash DeshmukhKey Cast
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Geetika ShyamKey Cast
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Project Type:Feature
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Runtime:1 hour 10 minutes 16 seconds
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Completion Date:June 30, 2016
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Production Budget:23,000 USD
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Country of Origin:India
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Country of Filming:India
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Language:Hindi
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Shooting Format:HDV
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Aspect Ratio:16:9
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Film Color:Color
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First-time Filmmaker:Yes
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Student Project:No
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Haryana International Film FestivalHisar
India
September 11, 2016
Best Director -
Free Spirit Film FestivalMc Leod Gunj
India
October 31, 2016
Best Picture -
Free Spirit Film FestivalMc Leod Gunj
India
October 31, 2016
Best Director -
Free Spirit FIlm FestivalMc Leod Gunj
India
October 31, 2016
Best Screenplay -
Free Spirit Film FestivalMc Leod Gunj
India
October 31, 2016
Audience Award for Best Film -
Khajuraho International Film FestivalKhajuraho
India
December 13, 2016 -
Delhi International Film FestivalNew Delhi
India
December 6, 2016 -
Shaan-e-Awadh International Film FestivalLucknow
India
November 13, 2016 -
Jhelum Short & Long Film FestivalBangaluru
India
November 5, 2016 -
Indigo Moon Film FestFayetteville
United States
August 10, 2016 -
Chatrapati Shivaji International FIlm FestivalPune
India
December 25, 2016
Best Film -
Chatrapati Shivaji International FIlm FestivalPune
India
December 25, 2016
Best Screenplay -
Kalyan International Film FestivalKalyan
India
December 28, 2016
Best Rural Film -
Kalyan International Film FestivalKalyan
India
December 28, 2016
Best Screenplay -
Navi Mumbai International Film FestivalJabalpur
India
January 28, 2017
Best Film -
Bengaluru International Film FestivalBangalore
India
February 5, 2017 -
NC South Asian Film FestivalLouisburg, NC
United States
January 28, 2017 -
Rishikesh Art and Film FestivalRishikesh
India
March 11, 2017 -
Pune Independent Film FestivalPune
India
October 31, 2016 -
Kolkata International Wildlife & Environment Film FestivalKolkata
India -
Kashmir International Film FestivalBangaluru
India
January 4, 2017 -
International FIlm Festival of PrayagNew Delhi
India
February 25, 2017
Best Actor (Male) -
International FIlm Festival of PrayagNew Delhi
India
February 25, 2017
Best Feature Film -
Bollywood International Film FestivalColumbia
United States
April 8, 2017
Best Film -
GardenCity International FIlm FestivalBangaluru
India
April 5, 2017 -
7th Dada Saheb Phalke Film FestivalNew Delhi
India
April 30, 2017 -
Carmarthen Bay Film FestivalLianelli, Whales
United Kingdom -
IndustryBoost competitionMiami, Florida
United States -
The Indie Gathering International Film FestivalCleveland
United States
August 10, 2017
3rd position in Foreign Drama Feature -
The New York Indie Film Festival (NYIFF)New York
United States
August 20, 2017
Best Film -
Chatrapati Shivaji International FIlm FestivalPune
India
December 25, 2016
Best Actor (Male) -
Indian Film Festival of CincinnatiCincinnati, Ohio
United States
November 3, 2017 -
Nevada International Film FestivalLas Vegas
United States
Best Foreign Film -
Paris International CinefestParis
France -
Grand IndieWise ConventionMiami, Florida
United States -
CMS VatavaranNew Delhi
India
November 1, 2017 -
Roundglass Samsara FestivalBangalore
India
October 4, 2017
Semi-Finalist -
Ekurhuleni International Film FestivalGauteng
South Africa
Semi-Finalist -
Lakecity Film FestivalLagos
Nigeria
Semi-Finalist -
WINE COUNTRY FILM FESTIVALGlen Allen
United States
Sem-Finalist -
Los Angeles CineFestLos Angeles
Semi-Finalist
An entrepreneur with a creative streak, Sudhanshu Sharma closely observed life at rural India while growing up. Different small towns and villages of Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh inspired his journey with their rich culture and traditional values. He is a post graduate in Humanities and a pursuant research scholar in Philosophy.
A poet, writer and philosopher, Sudhanshu's work remained mostly for personal audience 'til now, partly due to his choice of keeping it that way and partly due to professional commitments. Nevertheless, his work as a poet and writer earned him rich accolades in various formal and informal literary circles of Madhya Pradesh. A formal collection of his short stories and poems is in print for unveiling in very near future.
Sudhanshu's professional responsibilities as an entrepreneur demanded him to conceptualize, write, produce, and provide creative guidance for close to 150 commercial productions, mostly for Indian television.
'Kalichaat' is his directorial debut for a feature length, depicting the life and journey of a poor farmer from Malwa-Nimar region of western Madhya Pradesh, the area which he closely relates to. Besides being Director of the creation, he also was an integral part of scripting, screenplay, and art direction team of 'Kalichaat.'
"The subject, water depletion and struggles associated with it especially with regards to smaller farmers, can be a subject of alien proportions to a developed nation, but in India it is an omnipresent reality. Where some government statistics suggesting almost 90% of cultivated land belonging to small to very small farmers by the size of their piece of land. The whole nation prays for monsoon to be good as that is what governs the irrigation in India unlike any other developed nation, as the irrigation infrastructure, though getting better, is still in a primitive stage. So ironically, the God decides whether the year for a farmer and in turn of this nation is going to be good or not, not the efforts of a farmer! On top, the complex governmental procedures for largely illiterate farmer community coupled with corruption at grassroot levels and no proper mechanism to educate farmers on these matters make conditions even worse.
Making of Kalichaat was more out of an urge to get this common issue addressed more emphatically than for any professional gain, more like doing my bit in my capacity for farmers of my land."