PITHORAGARH: Hira Devi, 80, is an unlikely film heroine from one of Uttarakhand’s ghost villages, Gadtir, which has several empty houses because of migration. The octogenarian, who is illiterate and has lived in the mountain village most of her life, recently got a chance to star in ‘Pyre’, a film inspired by a story similar to her own, which will have its world premiere on Tuesday (Nov 19) at the 28th Tallinn Black Nights International Film Festival in Estonia.
When she was invited to attend the festival, Devi had one concern – leaving behind her constant companion, her buffalo, since the-re is no one in the village to care for it.
Produced by filmmaker Vinod Kapri, ‘Pyre’ tells a poignant love story of an elderly couple in their 80s. It is the only Indian entry selected in the ‘Official Competition’ category at the prestigious festival held annually in Estonia’s capital, Tallinn.
Film set 6km away, Devi worried about leaving buffalo alone
The film (Pyre) is based on a true tale from a village in Munsyari. Filmmaker Vinod Kapri wrote the screenplay and dialogues in 2018 after getting to know the story from a friend. Sudhir Rathor, a member of the production team, said they wanted to cast local villagers for the lead roles and were looking around the area to see who could fit the bill.
Padam Singh, a former Army man from Munsyari and a regular performer in local Ramlilas, was cast as the male lead. While scouting around for the female lead, Kapri met a few local women carrying fodder from the forest who recommended Hira Devi for her cheerful and expressive nature and ability to sing.
Initially, Devi was hesitant to take up the role as the filming location was 6km away from her home, and she didn’t want to leave her buffalo alone for too long.
A widow, she lives alone in the village and says that her buffalo serves as her primary companion. Her daughter is married and resides in Barani, while her two sons work in Delhi. She eventually agreed after her elder son, who was acquainted with Kapri, convinced her to go ahead.
When the film was selected for Tallinn festival and she was asked if she could attend the premiere, Devi once again hesitated, with her primary concern being the buffalo again. However, with persuasion from the filmmakers, she asked her daughter to care for it in her absence.
On Sunday, after her daughter arrived in the village, Devi, along with Kapri and Padam Singh, left for Tallinn to represent the film on the global stage, happy that the animal will be well cared for in her absence.