In Chandigarh for the screening of his film Fire In The Mountains, Ajitpal Singh reveals excerpts from his journey fraught with challenges

Son of a security guard and then a debut as a filmmaker at Sundance, Ajitpal Singh’s story is what dreams are made of. He sure has a knack of telling tales and of holding listeners in a spell. When he came calling to Chandigarh for the screening of his award-winning film Fire In The Mountains, he was open, honest to the core, and oscillating between hope and doubt for the future. He talks about his life journey and how the challenges he faced shaped up the filmmaker that he is today.

To read is one, to see another

We grew up reading Guru Nanak Dev ji was revered by both Hindus and Muslims. And, how after his death only flowers were found in place of the body. To see his asthis in a gurdwara and people placing chadars at a mazaar at Kartarpur Sahib was an experience. This was our Punjab, our Hindustan. Where are we going today? One lives in the hope that when things get out of control, God takes human form to lead the world out of crisis. I believe we are ready for one, or else Elon and Trump hain hi!

Born Punjabi, now a Marathi

My life was impacted hugely by operation Blue Star and the aftermath of Indira Gandhi’s death. Tough circumstance forced our family to leave our home in Punjab and migrate to Gujarat in search of a living. Wearing a turban then, I was labelled as an atankvadi not just by my classmates but also teachers. Things changed when the focus shifted to my Muslim classmate, when Kar Seva for Ram Mandir started. I have realised first-hand how such pressure can rob one of their potential.

When books filled in for friends

Displaced from Punjab, I struggled to make friends in Gujarat. So I turned to books. I found value in literature and writings on films. I did take some 10 years to figure out that films were my calling. But then Fire In The Mountains to get an opening at Sundance was a payback for all those nasty experiences, which fired my creative self.

Finding the story

In fact, the story for my debut film also stems from my personal experiences. One of my cousins, the first graduate of the family, a rational woman, who inspired people around to study and get ahead in life, was married in a village near Amritsar. She died when her not-so-progressive husband, instead of taking her to the doctor, when she fell sick, took her to a jhaad phunk wala. There was a lot of anger in me; who does that in 2001! And that has found a vent through the film.

One’s loss, other’s gain

The road to making films isn’t a cakewalk. I spent months in Kumaon where Fire In The Mountains has been shot. Low on budget, when our supposed DOP and production designer boarded the train from Mumbai to Munsiyari, the journey began on a tough note. Back then, it was a 12-hour train from Mumbai to Delhi, then another eight to Kathgodam and them 15 to 16 hours in a taxi to village Munsiyari.

Battling cancer

I was diagnosed with cancer right before the shoot for the web series Tabbar was to start. It was a journey fraught with doubts. It all started with me losing my voice for a while and then it came back. Instead of carrying on with life, I tried to get to the root of the problem. Three doctors diagnosed me wrongly. Increasingly, cancer is becoming common. Thankfully enough, now there is a cure but early detection is the key. So, if you see any signs of your body not functioning well, please don’t take it lightly. Be regular with check-ups and follow ups!