Rubaru Roshni director Svati Chakravarty Bhatkal on the emotional turmoil she endured when putting together her story of forgiveness
Sonia Lulla (MID-DAY; February 1, 2019)

A section of Aamir Khan's production Rubaru Roshni — which aired on television on January 26 — is in stark contrast with the rest of the film. Showcasing a mediator who steps in to heal the families of a victim and her convict in the second of the trio of stories, Swami Sadanand is captured, sharing anecdotes on life, in a rather unsteady frame that sees him moving in and out of it, constantly. Director Svati Chakravarty Bhatkal reveals that the shots that made it to the final edit weren't, in fact, meant to be there.

"I had been to his ashram and done a recce with him on a handy camera. We were to do a proper shoot soon, but he got a heart attack. So, we decided that we'd take the film forward with him at a more suitable time. But, two days before I was to meet him, he had passed away," says Bhatkal of the man who played a vital role in her story of forgiveness.

An array of situations that found her protagonists in mental turmoil delayed her long-in-the-making film. "We also lost sister Mariam's [victim's family] mother, which was an emotional set-back. Often, when I'd plan my shoot schedules to talk to the families [of the victims or convicts] they wouldn't feel like communicating. So, I'd have to pack up and return."

Travelling across India with a cameraman, sound recordist and production assistant in tow, Bhatkal confesses it took a great deal of patience to acquire the confessions. "[Making this film] needed time, and I was willing to give it. I was also willing to take the risk that they may not eventually speak [on record]. It was an emotional journey that those I was talking to, and I, went through. The material was so intense that my team would stop watching it after 6.30 pm."

Having served their time behind bars, the convicts in Bhatkal's documentary, speak with an unusual openness. Prod her on how she enabled them to trust her with their revelations and she says, "I told them the truth — that I was creating a documentary on the subject of forgiveness." Bhatkal's film aptly showcases the ache that accompanies a life cut short. The idea of attaching the theme of forgiveness to these stories, she reveals, germinated from a newspaper clipping of one of them.

Khan's involvement in the project stemmed from his desire to learn what his Satyamev Jayate collaborator Bhatkal was working on post the show on social issues ended. "The rest of the team had joined the Paani Foundation, and he wondered why I hadn't. I told him I wanted to continue telling stories, and I was working on this project. We stuck to these three stories to keep the film from becoming lengthy. For the rest, there may be another time or film."