Speakbindas got a chance to chitchat with Samir Jagot, the most influential and most talked about film maker of Rajkot who runs a Production house by the name of Ctrl S. He has been pouring out his creativity and potential in short films like Samanjas (Harmony), Asamanjas (disharmony), Kya Yahi Pyar Hai (Is this called love?), Remove Polio and Ami.
Speakbindas: who is Samir Jagot according to Samir Jagot?
Samir Jagot: a noble man. (He says it with a smile on his face)
Speakbindas: And?
Samir Jagot: Art lover.
Speakbindas: And short film maker?
Samir Jagot: I want people to say it.
Speakbindas: Talk about your first film- Samanjas. What is the theme of it? What was the inspiration source of it and what is the message?
Samir Jagot: Samanjas is a real heart- stirring film about the life of deaf and dumb people. The actors of the film are deaf and dumb themselves, studying in Virani Bahera Munga Shala Rajkot. The film was, first in its kind, significant not only for its theme and storyline but because of the fact that the real deaf and dumb students acted in it.
Speakbindas: Was that experience difficult for you, as you were doing your first film?
Samir Jagot: No it can’t be called my first film as I have done many other films before like I did Jesus Christ, a telefilm, for Doordarshan. And I am glad to let you know that Samanjas is competing in different 22 countries including Cannes.
Speakbindas: Yeah and your film has got wide media coverage as well…
Samir Jagot: Media has taken interest in the news but not as much as the film deserves.
Speakbindas: The social message of Samanjas is very strong. Can I assume that all your other following films would also have the same social concern and message?
Samir Jagot: No. Nothing is permanent. But yeah I can say that I would keep on giving something new and nice every time.
Speakbindas: The next film you made was Asamanjas. What is it about?
Samir Jagot: Asamanjas is an experimental film. The story revolves around hero’s quest about the truth about an incident took place in his life. The film leaves the audience with a question that what is right. The film is also competing in Mica film festival this year.
Speakbindas: I recall a very great Shakespearean drama: Hamlet in which the hero also gets confused about what to do and what not to do. I wish you luck for Asamanjas.
Speakbindas: The next film you made was Kya Yahi Pyar Hai. What is it about?
Samir Jagot: Kya Yahi Pyar Hai is a musical film every Indian must watch. It’s a song based fictional film of only five and half minutes. The musical narrates the people who live together in normal situations but behave indifferent in unordinary situations.
Speakbindas: Okay so it differs from your previous works as it is said in a musical way.
Samir Jagot: Yeah.
Speakbindas: Samanjas and Asamanjas are Gujarati films, right?
Samir Jagot: Samanjas has no language, it’s in sign language
Speakbindas: or we can say it is in the language of silence.
Samir Jagot: Yeah. Asamanjas is in Gujarati, Hindi and English simultaneously. While there is no dialogue at all in Kya Yahi Pyar Hai, there is only a song.
Speakbindas: The next film you made was Remove Polio. What is it about?
Samir Jagot: Remove Polio is a documentary film I made for Government’s campaigning. It’s a film made for Polio awareness and the Government will release it in a short while.
Speakbindas: And the last film (poses)…sorry the film you made last was Ami. What is it about?
Samir Jagot: It’s a landmark film as it is going to be released in the theater for the first time in the history of Indian Short film industry. I will not tell you the story of Ami, as it is to watch on the big screen. I want you all to go for this film.
Speakbindas: Okay…you preserve the right of not telling the story of Ami. But can’t you tell us something about the film?
Samir Jagot: If a woman turns bald, it’s a historical event. In this film a girl of 12 years turns bald by her own wish. The film speaks a lot about the psychology of child, the impact of her turning bald and so on.
Speakbindas: What’s next after Ami?
Samir Jagot: A lot…Like I have two standing proposals from BBC…The team is working on a full length film and probably serials…
Speakbindas: Why you have selected the form of Short films for your creative expressions?
Samir Jagot: It’s a medium communicates beautifully in a very short period of time. I have been a staunch fan of short films and the supreme art, for me, is short films.
Speakbindas: Your favorite film?
Samir Jagot: There are so many films which I admire and like but to name a few: All the films of Madhur Bhandarkar.
Speakbindas: Your dream…?
Samir Jagot: It’s really a dream, so I don’t want to tell it but want to accomplish it.
Speakbindas: Your all films are made under the name (production house) Ctrl S. The name of the production house sounds very artistic, where it came from and what does it mean?
Samir Jagot: Ctrl S is a word comes from the computer language. It means to save. We are keen to give you the works which you would like to save, to preserve in your memories. The motto and the reason behind establishing Ctrl S is to give a platform to all the people of Rajkot who are art and cinema lovers. We, Ctrl S team, will support such people and give a chance to exercise their art.
Speakbindas: Tell us something about team Ctrl S. Who are they?
Samir Jagot: To name a few: Shri Nilesh Lathiya, Shri Kishan Adesara, Dr. Bharat Danidhariya, Shri Ahish Prajapati and a few others. These are the people who are part of our core team and by the time there are others who will be the part of team Ctrl S.
Speakbindas: The people you mentioned belong to Rajkot and you, also, mentioned before that you would give chance to all the cinema lovers of Rajkot. Why are you concentrating on Rajkot and Rajkotians to give the platform? While it is believed and said that for cinema, Mumbai is the best place to be.
Samir Jagot: Mumbai, once, was not the best place for filmmakers. Mumbai is, now, known as the best place for filmmakers. Can you understand? Somewhere something must come out of nothing. There have been people who have worked hard to make Mumbai the place for filmmakers. And I envision the same for Rajkot. Why Rajkot can’t be the hub for cinema?
Speakbindas: Thank you Samirbhai.
Samir Jagot: Thanks.
Note: Samir Jagot can be rached at samirjagot@ctrl-s.in
———-
Interviewer: Vikas Rajpopat from Rajkot. He can be reached at
Email: vikasrajpopat90@gmail.com
Cell: +91 99090 11233
Posts by SpeakBindas Editorial Team.
hearty wishes to rajkot for having a person like samirbhai, and more to the cinema lovers and artists
who have the opportunity to learn and explore the process of filmmaking for they no longer have to take the pain to go to anywhere else. This act will inspire a lot of young people to carve their paths for making films and take gujarati cinema and cinema itself to a higher destination.
Dear Vikas,
Watched the interview. You organized it in a very smooth manner, and scratched Samir Jagot’s creativity to provide us with more knowledge about his talent and activities he is involved with his venture of Ctrl S. I also watched the documentary Asamanjas from his website, and found it very neatly filmed. I am proud of you for bringing such a young and enthusiast film maker on the board of Speakbindas. Thanks to Samir Jagot for finding time for Speakbindas. Our best wishes with your all upcoming efforts, we are with you.
Hi Mr. Editor (and friend Devangbhai),
Your approach of encouraging people is fascinating! I am also proud of being with you and Speakbindas. Will keep on trying to give best…
I ancipate your fantastic cooperation in my next works as well..
Thanks
Vikas
I am very proud to know Samir. I wish him all the best on his career and life! Don’t forget your friends as you are becoming well known. Take care, Lu
Hai Friends,
I know both interviewer and interviewee. Both are very friendly on the screen.
Otherwise, Vikasbhai as interviewer is dangerous( being very good in framing right questions and his thorough homework) and Samirbhai as interviewee is dominating(being having gift of gab and ability to convert adverse question into favourable answer). Here, both are in very good mood. Two enormous talents on same screen!
What can I say that what’s going on -is so interesting and encouraging.
Many intersting results are being awaited by fans like me.
Wishing you all the best to Samirbhai and Ctrl S team and ofcourse, Vikasbhai.
Kamlesh
Its a good interview. Really i am keen to watch your all short films.
Where could i get these films???
Good luck for your dream to envisage Rajkot as a main hub for film making…
The interview high lighted many facets of film making, little known of…
Thanks, Devang,Thanks Samir!
Interview effort was made by my dear friend Vikas Rajpopat. So I’m forwarding your thanks to me to him 🙂