Eight years after his death, celebrated cinematographer Rajen Kothari's last directorial venture Das Capital - Gulamon Ki Rajdhani is set for release on an OTT platform for Indian Indie filmmakers.
A labour of love, the film was envisioned in the 90s, scripted over a couple of decades and shot in 2012, shortly after which Rajen passed away.
Depicting the corruption and exploitation prevalent in rural north India, the film sets the canvas for the protagonist, Purshottam Ram, played by Yashpal Sharma, who is torn between his duties toward his family, his corrupt employers and a corrupt political system. The plot employs dramatic performances by a stellar cast including Pratibha Sharma, Jameel Khan, K.K. Raina, Ravi Jhankal, Manoj Pahwa, Seema Pahwa, Anupam Shyam and Rajpal Yadav among others.
Shaiwal, the film’s writer tells, “Das Capital is an amalgamation of my short stories Arth Tantra and 'Akvan Ka Coat. Set in the 80's the film traces the journey of a lower-middle-class dalit man Purshottam who works as a cashier in a block office in the backdrop of grassroots bureaucracy which is corrupt, incompetent and inhuman”.
“Das Capital is Rajen Kothari's world. A mysterious world of ordinary people,” laments Dayal Nihalani, the co-director of the film.
Yashpal Sharma, the lead actor of the film, shares his experiences, “Set in Bihar, Das Capital- Gulamon ki Rajdhani is a slap in the faces of people who are party to scams of thousands of crores. Now that the film is releasing on an OTT platform, I am very happy and excited. I am sure the late filmmaker Rajen Kothari would also be happy up there”.
Rajen Kothari was the cinematographer for iconic films like Ghayal, Mrityudand, Zubeidaa, Godmother besides others. He also directed Purush (1992) starring Om Puri, Ashwini Bhave and Irrfan, based on the iconic Marathi play by the same name. His next directorial venture was a light-hearted comedy Panga Naa Lo starring Satish Shah, Om Puri and Kunal Roy Kapoor. Rajen also served as a cinematography teacher at Whistling Woods International and FTII. He passed away soon after Das Capital was shot.