Last Train to Mahakali
Encyclopedia
Last Train to Mahakali is short film written and directed by Indian
film director-screenwriter Anurag Kashyap
. It was made for the Star Plus
television series Star Bestsellers
and was first telecast in 1999. The film won the Special Jury Award
at the 8th Annual Star Screen Awards
. In 2005, the film was one of the four short films screened at an event organized by Films Anonymous at Hyderabad.
The film tells the story of a doctor on death row
who claims to have discovered a permanent cure for any virus-based disease and stars Kay Kay Menon
and Nivedita Bhattacharya
.
and ask them for work. Kashyap followed the advice and narrated a story to the channel. Those days (1999) Plus was doing a series - Star Bestsellers
- which showcased the work of young-and-upcoming writers and directors. Kashyap was a brand because he had written the scripts for three Ramgopal Varma films including the blockbuster Satya
. So they agreed immediately to the idea. Kashyap was to make a short film for Bestsellers.
Kashyap contacted cinematographer Natarajan (Nutty); he had liked Nutty's work in the music videos of band Euphoria
. And they shot the entire film over a period of three-four days. The shooting inside a train was done using a DV
camera that Kashyap borrowed from a friend who was working as a producer at Channel V
, after promising him a role in the film.
at the 8th Annual Star Screen Awards
.
Cinema of India
The cinema of India consists of films produced across India, which includes the cinematic culture of Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Gujarat, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Orissa, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal. Indian films came to be followed throughout South Asia and...
film director-screenwriter Anurag Kashyap
Anurag Kashyap (director)
Anurag Singh Kashyap is an Indian film director and screenwriter. As a director, he is known for Black Friday , a controversial and award-winning Hindi film about the 1993 Bombay bombings, followed by No Smoking , Dev D and Gulaal...
. It was made for the Star Plus
STAR Plus
STAR Plus is a Hindi language general entertainment television channel based in India. The channel is part of the STAR TV network's bouquet of channels...
television series Star Bestsellers
Star Bestsellers
Star Bestsellers is an Indian television series that was originally telecast on Star Plus in 1999-2000. Each episode in the series is a separate story written and directed by young and upcoming writer-directors and it carried the special intensity for a different feeling but all about proper human...
and was first telecast in 1999. The film won the Special Jury Award
Star Screen Award Special Jury Award
The ' is a special award conducted by the Star Screen Awards to recognise a great performance by an actor in the previous year. The winners are listed below:-...
at the 8th Annual Star Screen Awards
Star Screen Awards
The Star Screen Awards is an annual awards ceremony in India honoring professional excellence in film. The nomination and award selection is done by a panel of distinguished professional from the industry itself.- History :...
. In 2005, the film was one of the four short films screened at an event organized by Films Anonymous at Hyderabad.
The film tells the story of a doctor on death row
Death row
Death row signifies the place, often a section of a prison, that houses individuals awaiting execution. The term is also used figuratively to describe the state of awaiting execution , even in places where no special facility or separate unit for condemned inmates exists.After individuals are found...
who claims to have discovered a permanent cure for any virus-based disease and stars Kay Kay Menon
Kay Kay Menon
Kay Kay Menon is an Indian actor.-Early life:Menon was raised in Ambarnath and Pune, Maharashtra. His early life was in "H" type Rangehills, Khadki which were factory quarters for those working in the ammunition and high explosives factories. His father was popularly known as "Cashier Menon"...
and Nivedita Bhattacharya
Nivedita Bhattacharya
Nivedita Bhattacharya is an Indian actress. She is best known for playing the role of Jiji in the TV soap Saat Phere, which airs on Zee TV and in the serial Kundali. Bhattacharya is married to actor Kay Kay Menon. They both acted in a short film called Last Train to Mahakali directed by Anurag...
.
Production
Anurag Kashyap made Last Train to Mahakali in a moment of disenchantment. Kashyap's brother - Abhinav - was doing a television show and he used Kashyap's name to promote it. He advised Kashyap to contact television channel Star PlusSTAR Plus
STAR Plus is a Hindi language general entertainment television channel based in India. The channel is part of the STAR TV network's bouquet of channels...
and ask them for work. Kashyap followed the advice and narrated a story to the channel. Those days (1999) Plus was doing a series - Star Bestsellers
Star Bestsellers
Star Bestsellers is an Indian television series that was originally telecast on Star Plus in 1999-2000. Each episode in the series is a separate story written and directed by young and upcoming writer-directors and it carried the special intensity for a different feeling but all about proper human...
- which showcased the work of young-and-upcoming writers and directors. Kashyap was a brand because he had written the scripts for three Ramgopal Varma films including the blockbuster Satya
Satya (film)
Satya is a 1998 Hindi crime film directed by Ram Gopal Varma with a screenplay by Anurag Kashyap and Saurabh Shukla. It stars J. D. Chakravarthy, Manoj Bajpai, Urmila Matondkar and Shefali Shah...
. So they agreed immediately to the idea. Kashyap was to make a short film for Bestsellers.
Kashyap contacted cinematographer Natarajan (Nutty); he had liked Nutty's work in the music videos of band Euphoria
Euphoria (Indian band)
Euphoria , is an Indian rock band from the city of Delhi, India.-Films:The band has composed the soundtrack for a Malayalam film named Best of luck .-Albums:* 1998 - Dhoom* 2000 - Phir Dhoom* 2003 - Gully* 2006 - Mehfuz* 2008 - ReDhoom...
. And they shot the entire film over a period of three-four days. The shooting inside a train was done using a DV
DV
DV is a format for the digital recording and playing back of digital video. The DV codec was launched in 1995 with joint efforts of leading producers of video camcorders....
camera that Kashyap borrowed from a friend who was working as a producer at Channel V
Channel V
Channel [V] is the brand name for multiple international music television networks owned by STAR TV and Fox International Channels, fully owned subsidiaries of News Corporation.-Channel [V] International:...
, after promising him a role in the film.
Reception
The film was aired on Star Plus and was well received by the audience; the shooting style, more than the story, was appreciated. It won the Special Jury AwardStar Screen Award Special Jury Award
The ' is a special award conducted by the Star Screen Awards to recognise a great performance by an actor in the previous year. The winners are listed below:-...
at the 8th Annual Star Screen Awards
Star Screen Awards
The Star Screen Awards is an annual awards ceremony in India honoring professional excellence in film. The nomination and award selection is done by a panel of distinguished professional from the industry itself.- History :...
.