Gulistaan

By Pickle November 24, 2024

Year of the Weeds

India | Hindi | Drama, Others

Synopsis

Korok, a young gardener, lives in the tribal village of Deogan, tucked at the base of the Abhayraja Hills, where life is closely tied to the land and the sacred hills that have long protected them. Since his father’s wrongful arrest, Korok has struggled with nightmares, haunted by fear and loss. He receives another jolt when the government announces plans to displace the village for mining bauxite deposits discovered beneath their sacred hill.

For Korok, this hill is more than land–it’s home, the resting place of his mother, the one place where he still feels her presence. Now, his worst nightmare seems to be coming true. As the villagers resist, desperate to protect their home against powerful forces of ‘progress’, Korok unexpectedly becomes their figurehead when the media labels him the ‘Leader of the Resistance.’

Thrust into a complex world of politics, media, and corporate power, Korok must confront his deepest fears and summon the courage to lead his people in an uphill battle. In the face of overwhelming odds, Gulistaan tells the story of a young man’s struggle to protect his mother and everything else that he holds dear from the forces of greed and progress.

Prateek Gupta
Director & Producer
prateek.gupta@harfanmaulafilms.com

Director(s) Statement

Gulistaan is the story of a young tribal boy, echoing the voices of countless indigenous communities repeatedly displaced in the name of progress. Inspired by India’s first environmental referendum, this film asks critical questions: At what cost do we pursue development, and why the relentless push to urbanize, disregarding the harmony between nature and humanity? Through Gulistaan, we explore survival, resistance, and the resilience of voices refusing to be silenced. It challenges viewers to reconsider our obsession with modernity, aiming to capture the delicate balance between survival and sacrifice and to inspire a new perspective.

Budget
USD 780, 000

Financing in place
USD 200, 000

Production Company
Harfanmaula Films

Looking for
Co-Producers, Financers, Film Festivals/Programmers