From Indian village to Estonia's Tallin: Uttarakhand elders embark on 1st foreign trip for film gala

New Delhi: Padam Singh and Heera Devi, the two octogenarians from an Uttarakhand village and now the unlikely stars of director Vinod Kapri's "Pyre", are set to attend the world premiere of the film in the northern European country of Estonia on what marks their first airplane journey as well as maiden foreign trip.

Kapri, Singh and Devi are currently en route to the Estonian capital Tallinn for the world premiere of "Pyre" on Tuesday at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival 2024.

"Pyre", billed as a melancholic ballad of an undying love in a dying land, has been chosen in the Official Selection - Competition section at the 28th edition of the movie gala.

The Hindi film is inspired by a true story of an elderly couple Kapri met in 2017 in Munsyari, a village affected by migration in Uttarakhand. The couple's bond left a deep impact on him, prompting him to make "Pyre".

Kapri met around 20 elders across Uttarakhand from which he chose Singh and Devi to play the leads in his movie, which revolves around an 80-something couple living in isolation in a mountain village whose residents have moved away to big cities in search of livelihood.

"My only concern was that they must not be shy, they should be confident about facing the camera," the National Award winner told PTI over phone on Monday.

In his search, the director said he was almost misunderstood for "following" old women around, angering the villagers who surrounded him on learning what was going on.

"Then, I told them that I'm a filmmaker, that I want to make a film, I'm looking for local actors. I told them I'm also from Uttarakhand, I spoke to them in Kumaoni language. I found Heera Devi in that crowd of villagers. People told her what was going on. That's when she said 'Yes, I'll do it. I'll become a heroine! I was floored by Devi's confidence," he added.

Initially, Devi said she was "scared" about acting in front of the camera.

"I also didn't feel like doing it at one point of time. But my children encouraged me. Then, Vinod ji also helped a lot. After that, it all went well," she said.

While Singh is a retired Indian Army soldier, Devi is a farmer. Neither of them had ever acted in a film before. Both hail from Berinag Tehsil in Uttarakhand's Pithoragarh district.

Earlier in the day, Kapri on X shared a post of Singh and Devi shared a video of his two stars being escorted into the airport on wheelchairs.

"#AamaBubu of #Uttarakhand. Off to #Tallinn @TallinnBNFF Their first flight Journey, First foreign trip. World premiere of @PyreFilm!" he wrote on the microblogging site.

The director also posted a picture of the duo smiling for the camera as they sat in the plane.

Asked how their first plane journey was, Devi and Singh said they enjoyed their trip.

Singh said he had only read about international cities like Kabul and Kandahar in books but he got an opportunity to see them quite closely while sitting in a plane.

He is also confident that the film will receive a good response at the premiere on Tuesday.

"All will be well due to God's grace," added Singh.

Kapri said during the shooting of "Pyre", Singh -- who is undergoing chemotherapy for prostate cancer -- would often ask him if he would be able to see the film till he's around.

"He's going to live his dream in the next 24 hours. He'll watch his film on the big screen with an international audience," the director said.

"Pyre" is the only Indian entry in the Official Competition category of the prestigious film gala, held annually in Estonia’s capital, Tallinn.

"In the Himalayan Mountain range, a rural village loses its inhabitants to the city's allure while an elderly couple, Padam Singh and Tulsi, live in desolate isolation. Their days are filled with routine and occasional humour as they mask their loneliness.

"Their son's absence gnaws at them, and when a letter arrives promising his return, it reignites their hearts with joy and anticipation. However, the reunion does not unfold as expected, shattering their hopes. As the film climaxes, the spectator is confronted with a more rueful plight, deeply engaging the audience's empathy," read the film's official synopsis.

Kapri and his wife, Sakshi Joshi, have produced the movie independently through Bhagirathi Films. Legendary lyricist Gulzar has penned a song for the film.

The Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, which started on November 8, will come to a close on November 24.

Inputs from PTI