Bengaluru: The brisk and shrill war of words between India and its estranged neighbor, Pakistan, over the re-detention of separatist leader Masarat Alam Bhat, appeared to have no effect on a bunch of Pakistani lads, when they excitedly screened a popular Kannada movie ‘Lucia’ directed by popular Kannada film director, Pawan Kumar on Friday April 17, in Karachi. It was a proud moment indeed for the Indian, and especially Kannada film industry.
Crossing the border
They say art has no boundaries, especially when it combines with technology. The screening took place in Pakistan, after a group of youngsters, following the movie’s critical acclaim, took it upon themselves to arrange for the same. Following their request, Pawan sent copy of Lucia through the virtual world as other routes mainly mail or courier is restricted between India and Pakistan. Pawan Kumar, the director of ‘Lucia’ told Newskarnataka.com over phone, “ A few youngsters, after accumulating information on our movie wrote an e-mail, following which the screening of the movie was made possible”.
From enmity to camaraderie!
Art in any form, binds rather than separates. That’s what happened when Lucia was screened in Karachi – the enmity disappeared, to be replaced with camaraderie as the Pakistanis watched the intense and critically acclaimed movie.
‘Lucia’ talks about the philosophy of life, using fictional drug, ‘Lucia’ as a tool. The movie received wide critical acclaim, and was widely discussed in many forums for its style of production, rich screenplay despite a low budget and storyline that keeps the audience yearning for a solution to the mystery it creates. The movie was first released in India in 2013.
Learning from the Guru
Post screening, director Pawan held a 15-minutes interaction over Skype with the audience in Karachi, at their request. According to Pawan, the audience was animated and interested in finding answers to the many queries they had which included among others, the method of funding (‘Lucia’ was crowd funded), its unique distribution channel (the movie was distributed online) and the use of a single multiplex screen to screen the movie.
There were also, some unique queries from the socially aware youth. “Has the movie promoted or encouraged the use of drugs?” questioned one movie goer. Pawan recalls that he clearly told the movie buff, that in no way does the movie promote drug usage. He had only used a fictional drug ‘Lucia’ in the movie to bring out the intricacies of life. He explained, “If you Google the subject, you can read about lucid dreams. In fact many do use lucid dreaming tripping drugs. But in the movie a fictional name for such a drug was used”.
During the skype interaction, Pawan received a strong applause from his Pak audience for his successful and ground breaking venture. In turn, Pawan told his enthralled audience, that would accord permission to those who had watched his movie, if they were motivated 
enough, and desired to produce ‘Lucia’ in their language. He advised the movie buffs to start their careers, making short movies as it would build confidence, and embolden them to take the risk of making big budget movies.
The future according to Pawan
Pawan explained his remarks to newskarnataka.com thus: “in Pakistan, the movie industry has not yet developed to the extent that it has in India, where big budget movies are regularly made”. “It is better if film makers to use English subtitles in their movies to enable these works of art reach a wider audience”, he added
The movie ‘Lucia’ has been widely and often hotly debated in various cinematic forums for its techniques, screenplay, funding, subject, direction and distribution. When director, Pawan was quizzed on this academic interest in his movie, he sublimely said ‘Hope that we have set a trend’.
He said his next movie ‘C10H14N2’ (mostly on tobacco industry) had some funding problems, which were delaying its progress, but these would be resolved shortly and the movie would be completed soon.
