Exclusive - Yashpal Sharma on his biopic Pandit Lakhmi Chand due for release

producer co writer and actor of biopic Lahmi Chand Yashpal Sharma

In a star-struck Hindi film industry, producers and audiences, the good news is, actors like Yashpal Sharma, neither leave hope nor stop working for what they deem best for the domain called acting and a world called cinema.

Having worked in hundreds of sensible films like Gangaajal, Lagaan, Aarakshan and Tube light, in which he grabbed high applause and eye balls; continues with his sensible efforts. This time, he has produced and co-written a film that pays a rich tribute to his native state Haryana, as well as its legendary figure Pandit Lakhmi Chand.

Also known as Dada Lakhmi Chand was a legendary Haryanvi artiste and poet who made the folk style of singing Saang (Swang), the most ancient folk theatre of India, exceptionally popular among the audiences, and became the only name in the area to obtain the stature of a ‘Pandit’ (scholar) of the same. Not only that, his dedication to saang, brought him ardent devotees, and recognition such as the title of Surya Kavi. Being the only in the domain, he was also later called, the Kaalidas of Haryana and Kabirdaas of Haryana, a seer and Saang Samraat.

Saang (actual word swang) is local, enriching “initiation” of a popular folk dance-theatre of Rajasthan, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Malwa region of Madhya Pradesh. The art of saang included an exceptional singing quality, and a dialogue-oriented theatrics, largely performed in open house. Highly enriching in its content, Saang Traditions later gave birth to folk theatre varieties like Nautanki and Tamasha.

The non-lobbying actor, known for his self-respect in the film industry, who has often been sidelined by the ‘mainstream’ despite his immense calibre as an actor, instead of crying over it, has done what he calls his own duty towards the art form of his native place.

An exclusive interview with the passionate actor over the phone.

“It’s a period film as Pandit Lakhmi Chand was born in 1903 and died in 1945 at the age of 42. No one could do saang as he could. People used to come to listen to him from as long as 40 miles on bullock carts in groups. So much was his magic that people would stay long to listen to him in his village, hence the gathering would turn into a mela (a fete) of no less than a week, “shares the actor whose Haryanvi film Satrangi Pagdi received National Awards in 63rd Film Festival.

On why Sharma decided to make this film, he says, “Haryana was undergoing through Jaat Aarakshan (Jaat reservation) in 2016. Having seen that chaos, I thought let me make a film which has no place for groupism, politics, caste, creed and violence but brotherhood, harmony, poetry, art and culture. While wracking my brain on the subject, I happened to watch Nat Samra”, (directed by Sanjay Manjrekar (starring Nana Patekar and Medha Manjrekar), a heartbreaking story of a which the king of the stage, who after retirement from his stage acting career, wishes to wishes to live with his children. However, after he distributes property among his two sons, his children leave him to fend for himself on the streets).

“I thought I would make a nat samrat sing Saang and his personal state of sorry affairs as a frustrated poet towards the end. But, fortunately, I came across Raju Maan, a writer who told me to make a film on legendary Pandit Lakhmi Chand. Hearing his story, I gave him a shagun of Rs. 1010, and said he should start writing it. “

On shoot

That’s how the idea was born. Mann and Sharma together wrote the film and initially stared with a budget of Rs. 70 lakh, it is now the most expensive film Haryana has ever produced.

Ready for release, Sharma has already been showing it at various auditoria including colleges because “people, with second round of covid attack, are not turning up in cinema halls. “I have seen as less as 4 people in a multiplex in Mumbai for a popular film of Raj Kumar Rao, recently, for fear of the virus”.

A two-and-a-half-hour film, depicting real life story of the unlettered legend and the biggest philanthrope Haryana has ever seen, could be completed in five years due to intensive research, study of 18-20 books and assistance of research scholars on him.

It stars Yashpal himself, well-known actors like Rajendra Swaroop and Meghna Malik (ammaji of Na aana is des Lado, the popular tele-serial fame), Haryanvi actor Jidro Devi and 14-years-old Yogesh Vats (who plays the child poet) among others.

A scene from the film

Already travelling across India and popular due to word of mouth, the film would be screened at Hansraj College, Delhi on April 3, at 6.30 p.m, and Sharda University Auditorium on April 4 in Greater Noida. 2.30. p.m, and a cinema hall release is yet to be decided.