“Jadugoda – The Land of Magic” screened at the prestigious 19th Mumbai International Film Festival gets an overwhelming response

Ø This film was screened in the “International Non-Competition Section” of Short Films segment in the “MIFF Prism” Category

Ø The film has also won the “Best Short Fiction Film” Award at the 13th International Uranium Film Festival 2024 held in May in Rio de Janeiro

18th June 2024: “Jadugoda – The Land of Magic” screened at the prestigious 19th Mumbai International Film Festival got a thundering response. The film was screened in the International Non-Competition Section of Short Films up to 30 minutes segment in the MIFF Prism category at FD NFDC Complex, Mumbai. The film has also won the “Best Short Fiction Film” Award at the “13th International Uranium Film Festival” held in Rio de Janeiro. As part of the MIFF festival, the film will also be screened again on 17th June & 19th June at Siri Fort, New Delhi

This 20-minute short film in Hindi language depicts the anomalies caused by Uranium in Jadugoda a small town in the East Singhbhum district in Jharkhand State. Jadugoda, meaning ‘The Land of Magic’ is also home to one of the finest Uranium Ore, Magnesium Diuranate, the fodder for India’s nuclear dream. Once upon a time, it was a major tourist attraction with its scenic beauty of dense forests & small villages surrounded by hills. But today, its residents see it as a man-made hell.

The economic boost in India was catalyzing the nation’s dream to establish its name in the list of the world’s most powerful nuclear forces. However, due to this, Jadugoda is continuously poisoned by the uranium mining dump. The innocent & poor tribals in the town who are living a simple livelihood are suffering from these radiations daily. Men are getting scarred & crippled while women are giving birth to stillborn & disabled children. Many women are suffering from infertility too. As a result of this, families from nearby towns and villages are not willing to get their kids married to any person in this village, especially to a woman.

This film narrates that in these unfortunate times, Dama, a 45-year-old farmer, who resides in Dungridih (a tribal village in Jadugoda) dreams of getting his only daughter, Rupni married. He is elated that he has received a marriage proposal from a prosperous family for his daughter but in the 24 hours prior to their visit to his house, his anxiousness increases with every passing minute as his biggest concern is to keep the condition of the village hidden from them.

This film has been shot at different places in Jharkhand. It is directed by Satish Munda & is written by Ashwini Pankaj. The screenplay & dialogues have been written by Rupesh Kumar Sahu & Satish Munda. Bollywood actor Harish Khanna & Jharkhand’s Chanda Mehra have played the lead roles in the film. Kartik Kumar Bhagat did the cinematography & the sync sound recording was done by Satish Tiriya. The film is produced by Ultra Media and Entertainment Group

Satish Munda hails from a small city of Ranchi which is merely 150 Km away from Jadugoda & he has been familiar with the stories & facts of that town since his childhood. “Jadugoda -The Land of Magic” does not intend to make any pro or anti-government statement. It is made with the sole purpose of discussing just one philosophical question – Is Development possible without Declination?

Satish Munda is an FTII graduate. During his final year, he gained widespread critical acclaim for his diploma film, ‘Dansh’ which received several awards in prestigious film festivals across India. He directed his first feature film, ‘Chakki’ in 2022 & garnered nationwide recognition.

“Jadugoda – The Land of Magic” has also been selected for the Rio Film Festival in Brazil, with plans for a marathon screening in the United States. The film was also screened at the Pune Film Festival in June this year & has been nominated for the 21st Indian Film Festival Stuttgart 2024 to be held in July in Germany. The film is also selected for screening at the “International EcoPerformance Film Festival this year. Jharkhand filmmaker Satish Munda was honoured with the ‘Best Young Filmmaker’ award by the Samuel Lawrence Foundation. Jadugoda has also received the “Best Film Award” at the “Samvad Film Festival in Jamshedpur”.

Mr Rajat Agrawal, Director, Ultra Media & Entertainment Group quoted “It gives us extreme pleasure to be a part of this film which depicts the reality around us to the world. We took extreme care in showcasing this sensitive subject & ensuring that the viewer connects with it & the ground realities around it in an engaging way, which will help them resonate with the sufferings of these people in Jadugoda in a pragmatic way”