Champaran Mutton, a regional dish hailing from a small district in Bihar was once touted as a celebratory fare for middle-class families. Even though it has made it to the mainstream menus of some popular restaurants, it continues to maintain the aforementioned status.
Taking inspiration from this delicacy’s history and origin, Ranjan Kumar helmed a short film titled Champaran Mutton which has now made it to the semi-finals of the coveted Student Academy Awards 2023. To Ranjan’s luck, the dish even found the fondness of politicians Lalu Prasad and Rahul Gandhi and it's all that the internet can talk about now.
With a runtime of 24 minutes, the film revolves around a Bihari man who thrives to do whatever it takes to fulfil his wife’s wish to taste this dish in trying times. We speak to Falak Khan, who plays the lead actress in this Oscar-nominated short film, about what makes this film and the dish so special.
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Read excerpts:
How are you feeling about the Oscar nomination?
It is absolutely amazing. I don't have words to describe the situation. Being an actor, you always dream of awards and nominations, especially at prestigious international platforms. This is a dream come true. I am short of words just to get my name attached to the Oscars. I could not believe it at first.
Tell us about the title of the film.
Champaran is a big district but it’s not very known. Yes, it is the home to his popular dish but it is not anymore restricted or limited to the locals of the district. The dish is now a brand. But if you see, mutton is considered celebratory. In day-to-day life, you will rarely find lower middle-class families consuming it out of occasion. Mutton in our film has been used as a metaphor to depict the financial crisis faced by the lower middle-class family post-pandemic. The message is basically to suggest that whatever financial crunch the family is going through, the love is always there. It fits well with the saying that people who come from Bihar, never step back and they are always ready to fight.
How was your experience working on the short film?
The film is very authentic and real. The characters are very relatable. You will relate to Sunita, a character played by me of a girl hailing from Champaran. You will also see yourself in Ramesh, my husband played by Chandan Roy. Everything felt very organic and I feel blessed to have worked in it. I will tell you one fun instance. After our movie came out, so many restaurants from Bengaluru and Hyderabad called and invited us to come and taste their version of Champaran Mutton.
Where can we watch the film?
That’s one of the most asked questions (jokes). The film is in festivals. It was a part of the Kerala Film Festival. There are also a lot of private screenings. It’s a film made by FTII so ultimately the decision of date and platform for release will be theirs.
Mail: muskankhullar@newindianexpress.com
Twitter: @Muskankhullar03