In a small town of 1960s India, deep-rooted in orthodox traditions, cinema is believed to corrupt young minds and women have been forbidden to watch films. Devi, a 14-year-old girl, is obsessed with films and dreams of watching a film in the theatre. Her neighbor, Mohan, a 14-year-old mute cinephile boy, narrates stories from his favorite films to her at night. When an unforeseen incident shakes their world, Devi has one last chance to pursue her dream. The First Film celebrates friendship, courage, and the magic of cinema.
The period from the early 1950s is considered the ‘Golden Age’ of Indian Cinema. Movie theatres were flooded with iconic hits, and the newly Independent nation was discovering newer fantasies through films.
I have been inspired by so many stories told by my grandparents who, like me, were obsessed with films. The magic of being transported to another world and experiencing it up-close has always excited me as an audience and a storyteller. I began to curiously ponder: How far would a cinephile go to watch a special film?
The First Film is about recreating the magic of watching films, an emotion that binds us all.
Piyush Thakur is a National Film Award-winning director and an alumnus of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII). His student short, The Real Millionaire, was nominated for the International Grand Prix at the Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival and screened at over 75 festivals worldwide, winning multiple awards. He also represented India at the International Student Film Camp in Serbia.
After FTII, he worked as an assistant director to Sanjay Leela Bhansali on Bajirao Mastani and was later selected for the Kyoto Filmmakers Lab in Japan and Platform Busan at the Busan International Film Festival.
His latest short, The First Film—directed and produced under his banner Thakur Talkies—won two National Film Awards, including the Swarna Kamal (Golden Lotus) for Best Direction. It premiered at the Moscow International Film Festival and went on to screen worldwide with subtitles in more than 10 languages, including the Academy Award-qualifying Bogoshorts in Colombia, the BAFTA-qualifying Glasgow Short Film Festival in the UK, and many others. It was also recognised as a “Short Film Market Pick” by Clermont-Ferrand and a “Film Bazaar Recommends” title by NFDC Doc Film Bazaar.
The film has received international honours, including the German Star of India – Audience Award at the Indian Film Festival of Stuttgart, the Audience Choice Award at the Indie Meme Film Festival in Texas, and the Best Short Narrative International Award at the Nepal Human Rights Film Festival, as it continues its journey worldwide.
Cast
Priyanka Beriya
Vasudev Nishad
Tony Chawda
Usha Athaley
Yuvraj Singh Azad
Shibanee Mukherjee
Rajveer Mukherjee
Ajay Athaley
Editor-Producer-Director
Piyush Thakur
Story-Screenplay-Dialogue
Piyush Thakur & Deepak Lohana
Executive & Co-Producer
Anadi Athaley
Co-Producer
Dinkar Thakur
Cinematographer
Kumar Avyaya
Production Design
Anadi Athaley
Music
Pranil Desai
Sound Design & Mix
Pradyumna Chaware