Actor Writer-Director Siddhant Issar is excited to release his next short film Sanghaar The Massacre, on the 16th of April.
The young actor was previously known for playing Duryodhan on stage in the magnum opus play Mahabharat An Epic Tale. He co-wrote this Broadway style depiction of the Mahabharat with his father and before the lockdown stalled things last year, the play had been staged over 150 times all over India. He had recieved several praises for his act as Duryodhan.
Last year amid the covid crisis, Siddhant had written, directed and acted in a short film, Resurrection Jaago Aur Jiyo which was based on suicide prevention and mental health awareness. It sent out a positive message and recieved raving reviews.
His current release Sanghaar The Massacre is a 50-minute experimental feature which opposes violence of any kind against peaceful saints, sages and preachers. It also in spirit condemns animal cruelty, namely cow slaughter.
Siddhant shares, “There is always good in bad. After the pandemic, theatres shut down and films suffered but they had other platforms for direct release. Worse hit were performing artists, artists like us, who perform live on stage. Singers, dancers, theater actors, stand up comedians and other performers, all suffered. Since audiences cannot gather, how would shows happen? But necessity is the mother of invention. In the last one year, there has been an uprising in digital content creation. Social Media and YouTube have attracted advertisers and money. Every one needs visibility to sell their brand. They are tapping popular digital faces. Audiences are bored at home, look for entertainment on their phone, spending more time on it, giving viewership to new age creators”
“Good content on social media and YouTube draws lots of attention. The pandemic has given newer opportunities to independent content creators. That’s when even I decided to create my YouTube channel Showman Theatre Productions, where I can put my creative work out. Sanghaar was made with that intention too. It’s a short film for rural masses of India, not at all for metros or intellectuals. I feel people in villages need some entertainment desperately. Big massy films are not releasing and the bigger platforms make content more for urban people. Sanghaar hopes to touch a chord with those in the interiors,” he concludes.
