At Mamu’s, located in the distant suburb of Malwani in Mumbai, a furious game of carrom is on. Oblivious to the international spotlight on it, the club marches on in the haze of hashish and boric acid powder. Directed by Udita Bhargava, Imraan, c/o Carrom Club, a 13-minute short film set at Mamu’s, has won an award at the 60th International Short Film Festival Oberhausen, Germany. One of the oldest short film festivals in the world, it screened 440 films from 66 countries this year. Set in a predominantly Muslim area, Bhargava’s film revolves around its “precocious operator Imraan”, giving a “glimpse of life in a carrom club” and its protagonists who seem “as childlike as they’re macho”. At Mamu’s though, it’s business as usual. Excerpts from an interview:

How was the film conceived?

Imraan was shot as part of a project initiated by my film school, the HFF ‘Konrad Wolf’ in Germany, and Arte/Rbb, which are TV channels. The project was to produce a series of documentaries in the slums of Mumbai.

How did you decide on the Philomena J Carrom Club?

Before I came to Berlin, I lived and worked in Mumbai. Walking around the city, I’d often encounter men gathered around carrom boards at street corners and tea stalls. I knew there were such clubs in the city and I had always been curious about them. I came across Malwani’s carrom clubs on the internet. I visited it, shortlisted three and ended up filming in Philomena J Carrom Club, better known as Mamu’s, at Gate No 7 1/2. They say it is the oldest club in the area. And Imraan was the reason we stayed there.

What is a day at Mamu’s club like?

The club opens at around 11am. On holidays and Sundays, it’s full by noon, while on weekdays, evenings are livelier. Depending on how busy it is, it remains open until after midnight. The people I met told me that they came to the club to relax, escape their mothers, wives and girlfriends. I wanted to show a glimpse of that life. It was a place that was previously unknown even to me. It was like visiting another planet, Imraan’s planet.

Why were you drawn to Imraan?

Imraan’s air of innocence is hard to miss. Unlike other kids, he had a quiet confidence in front of the camera. He wasn’t a poser. He would often forget us or ignore us. Imraan and his contemporaries (the boys in the club aren’t necessarily his friends) hang out in the clubs because they don’t go to school. Some of them work. Imraan, for instance, was employed to look after the club.

The children responded well to the camera. We didn’t plan to let the camera be so visible but once we realised that it was the encounter between the camera and them that was generating lively material, we went along with it.

There is attention to detail in the film — the powder box sitting on the lamp, lingering shots of the Congress office board etc…

We didn’t want to film outside the club. It had six tables, three in the front room and three at the back. Once we were stationed inside, it was a question of finding a position that wouldn’t disturb the activity. We found that spot intuitively, right in the middle of the club where the two rooms met. The details were never shown as cutaways or close-ups. We tried to integrate these things as naturally as possible. It would’ve been easy to get wrapped in the romance of the setting… every object, right down to the exhaust fan, has aged beautifully.

You’ve been a camera assistant for Slumdog Millionaire. And a short film director. What is more satisfying? Will you make a feature-length film?

I worked in Mumbai as a camera assistant. I had made a few short films at Jamia Millia... As a director, you often have to bring forth the first impulse for a project. Then your collaborators work with it and make it grow. This exercise can be satisfying but it can also be very stressful. But short films are easier to produce. You can experiment more, so you’re more likely to ‘find your own voice’. And I’ll start shooting my first feature film next year in March.

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