Hindi
“Fairy Folk” launches online distribution platform in India
Mumbai: The creators of the “Fairy Folk” have announce the launch of their official website, www.fairyfolkthefilm.com, where audiences can now view the film directly and pay any amount they feel is fair. This marks the first-of-its-kind release in India, pioneering a new model of film distribution.
“Fairy Folk,” directed by Karan Gour and starring Rasika Dugal and Mukul Chadda, had its limited theatrical release in March 2024. Despite gaining traction through word of mouth, the film faced significant distribution challenges, including its premature removal from cinemas and the reluctance of digital platforms to showcase independent films.
In response, the team behind “Fairy Folk” has taken an innovative approach by offering the film on their dedicated website. This platform allows viewers to pay any amount they feel is fair, ensuring that everyone can enjoy the film regardless of their financial situation.
“Working on an improvised film like Fairy Folk has been one of my most fulfilling experiences as a performer. I feel proud that, with this film, we have tried something new every step of the way – from experimenting with an entirely improvised film to producing it ourselves, to securing a theatrical release for an indie film; and now, finding our own way to distribute it! This has been a truly independent experience. I’m thrilled that we can now present our labour of love directly to audiences, allowing them to support us in a way that feels right to them”, said Rasika Dugal.
“Creating ‘Fairy Folk’ was a journey filled with both joy and immense challenges,” said Karan Gour. “The struggles of independent film distribution are real, but we’re excited to bring our film directly to the audience through our website. This approach not only democratises access but also supports the spirit of independent filmmaking.”
“Fairy Folk” explores the complexities of human relationships through the lens of magical realism. It tells the story of a genderless woodland being that disrupts the lives of a couple, leading them on a journey of self-discovery and transformation.
Hindi
Remembering Gyan Sahay, the lens behind film, television and advertising
From a puppet rabbit selling poppadums to Hindi cinema, he framed it all.
MUMBAI: There are careers, and then there are canvases. Gyan Sahay, the veteran cinematographer, director, and producer who passed away on 10 March 2026 in Mumbai, had one of the latter. Over several decades in the Indian film and television industry, he turned lenses, lights, and the occasional puppet rabbit into something approaching art.
A graduate of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) in Pune, Sahay built his reputation as a director of photography across a career that stretched from the early 1970s all the way to the digital age. He was the kind of craftsman who understood that a well-composed shot is not merely a technical achievement but a quiet act of storytelling.
For most Indians of a certain age, however, Sahay will forever be the man behind the rabbit. His direction of the iconic long-running television commercial for Lijjat Papad, featuring its now-legendary puppet bunny, gave the country one of its most cheerfully persistent advertising images. It was the sort of work that sneaks into the national subconscious and takes up permanent residence.
His big-screen credits as cinematographer include Anokhi Pehchan (1972), Pagli (1974), Pas de Deux (1981), and Hum Farishte Nahin (1988). In 1999, he stepped behind a different kind of camera altogether, making his directorial debut with Sar Ankhon Par, a drama that featured Vikas Bhalla and Shruti Ulfat, with a cameo by Shah Rukh Khan for good measure.
On television, Sahay was particularly prized for his command of multi-camera production setups, a skill that made him a go-to technician for large-scale shows and reality programmes. In an industry that has never been especially patient with complexity, he was the calm hand on the rig.
In later life, Sahay turned teacher. He participated regularly in masterclasses and Digi-Talks, often hosted by organisations such as Bharatiya Chitra Sadhna, sharing hard-won wisdom on cinematography, the comedy of timing in a shot, and the sweeping changes brought by the shift from celluloid to digital. He was also said to have been involved in a project concerning a biographical film on Infosys co-founder N.R. Narayana Murthy.
Tributes from the film industry poured in following the news of his passing, with colleagues remembering him as a senior cameraman who served as a rare bridge between two entirely different eras of Indian cinema. That is, perhaps, the finest thing one can say of any craftsman: he kept up, and he brought others along with him.
