Mann Ka Thela

Madhu Dhurve, Pushpa, Narendra Singh Pardhi are the second generation of the "Ektara Collective," an independent and autonomous group of individuals dedicated to merging creative efforts and imagination. Their aim is to collaborate with both trained and untrained individuals to produce fiction films that are rooted in our realities and experiences, both in terms of content and aesthetics. Having previously assisted in Ektara's films, they have now taken on the responsibility of creating their own short stories. Based in Bhopal, India, Ektaras earlier works include "Chanda Ke Joote" (2011), "Jaadui Machchhi" (2013), "Turup" (2017), "Hotel Raahgir" (2020), and "Ek Jagah Apni" (2022).

Ektara Collective gets together people which come from different backgrounds, such as tribal communities, marginalized groups, and various gender identities. Since 2011, they have been making their own films, focusing on stories that belong to them, the ones that often don't get attention from mainstream cinema. Their short film, "Mann Ka Thela" (Mind the Cart), tells the story of a 14-year-old boy from the “Pardhi tribe” (Denotified tribe). The script was written by Madhu Dhurve, who herself is from the "Gondi tribe". Another member of the directorial team, the cinematographer, is also from the “Pardhi community". Because they belong to the same community and the story is rooted in it, they chose to cast characters from the same background. This way, the characters could better understand the nuances of their roles. The collective found suitable candidates, held auditions, and conducted acting workshops to help them prepare. This is how they found their protagonist, Mann (Shakha Pawar), and Mann’s mother (Rinku). During the pre-production, before shooting, they conducted department-wise practice sessions, such as acting worshops, lens practices and use of microphones practices. They also involved some young people interested in learning filmmaking. The shooting took place at various locations in Bhopal, many of which were in the neighborhoods where the crew members live, giving them full support from the local community.