'Ab Mujhe Udnaa Hai' short film wins global praise

Bollywood actors added a dash of glamour to a chilly afternoon in Delhi as an award-winning short film based on the theme of empowerment of victims of rape and molestation - 'Ab Mujhe Udnaa Hai - Let me Soar High' - was screened for a select audience amid rave reviews.

Directed by Suujoy J Mukerji, son of legendary actor Late Joy Mukerji, the film is based on a story written by Delhi-based noted advocate-writer-actor Sunil Kapoor.

Kapoor's collection of 61 poems 'Punam ka Chaand' was also released at the event that also saw Joy Mukerji's wife, Neelam, unveil a CD 'Mein Pyar Ka Rahi Hun', carrying songs of her superstar husband.

Neelam remembered Joy as a reluctant star who led a non-controversial life and never let his stardom impact his simple life. "He used to go for walks on the beach and eat street food like all of us. He told his fans not to mob him or treat him differently," she said.

Apart from the presence of the Mukerji family, that owns the iconic Filmalaya studio in Mumbai, actors like Shakti Kapoor, Kanwaljit Singh, actor-turned-politician Manoj Tiwari (Delhi Pradesh Bharatiya Janata Party President) and the short film's lead actress Jasmine Grover also attended the event at USI Residency in the Delhi Cantonment.

Shakti Kapoor, 66, appreciated the directorial debut film, "Ab Mujhe Udnaa Hai", of 35-year-old Suujoy and enthralled the audience with anecdotes from his early days in Delhi's Karol Bagh area where he lived with his father, who owned a popular tailor shop in Connaught Place, and was then known as 'Sunil Kapoor.'

Suujoy, the scion of Mukerji family and director of Filmalaya Studio, said that the 24-minute short film, depicting the ordeal of a college girl who emerges from the lows of molestation, has so far won 15 awards. Sunil Kapoor and environmentalist Suresh Raheja sang popular Mohd Rafi, Kishore and Mukesh melodies of the 1960s and 70s at the event.

"As the nation remembers Nirbhaya on her sixth death anniversary, it is time to help victims of sexual assaults and molestation and their families to emerge from trauma without stigmatization," said Suujoy.

The film features veteran actor Kanwaljit Singh who won the jury award for best actor at the Mumbai Film Festival. He won the award for essaying the role of a college professor and the molested girl's father who believes in keeping pace with the changing times and encourages daughter to fulfill her dreams and potential. Mahaakshay, son of noted actor Mithun Chakraborty, has acted as the molested girl's dance instructor; he motivated her to come out of depression and follow her passion to become a dancer.

The short film's story and screenplay have been written by Sunil Kapoor, a noted income-tax advocate from Delhi, who has also acted in a forthcoming film 'The Tiger Trail'. Four stories from Kapoor's bestselling book 'A Peacock Feather' have been picked by Bollywood producers for making feature films. He has authored this book with his twin chartered accountant brother Sudhir.

The short film's awards include the best film award at the UK's Red Wood Film Festival, Top Shorts, Los Angeles, and Calcutta International Cult Film Festival, sensitively handles the complex issue of stigmatization of the victims of sexual offences and seeks to educate and empower society to make the nation a safe place for daughters.