From Government Files to Global Film Festivals: Pune GST Officer’s Crowdfunded Film Travels Across Four Countries

By Mubarak Ansari
Pune, 25th May 2026: In an age dominated by high-budget productions, star-driven marketing and streaming algorithms, independent cinema often survives purely on conviction. For many first-generation filmmakers, the challenge is not just telling a story, but finding enough people willing to believe in it.

Somewhere between government files, tax administration and late-night creative pursuits, Pune-based IRS officer and GST Additional Commissioner Anwesh decided to take that leap.

What followed was not a conventional film production, but an unusual collaborative journey powered almost entirely by passion, goodwill and collective effort.

His independently made feature film, Kathakar Ki Diary (The Story of Ordinary Lives), has now been officially selected for the 17th edition of AL ESTE – San Marcos 2026, an international film festival that will host screenings across Peru, Colombia, Argentina and France from June 18 to 28.

For a film made on a shoestring budget with the support of nearly 200 artists and technicians working largely without fees, the selection marks another milestone in an already remarkable journey through the global festival circuit.

A Film Built Through Collaboration
Unlike mainstream productions backed by studios and investors, Kathakar Ki Diary emerged through crowdfunding and volunteer-driven collaboration.

Artists and technicians from Maharashtra, Odisha and Jharkhand joined hands for the project, many contributing their skills without financial compensation. Technicians associated with the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) also became part of the process, including noted DI artist Krishnakumar G K, who passed away recently.

Shot across Pune, Mumbai and tribal regions of Odisha and Jharkhand, the 86-minute narrative feature blends Hindi, Marathi and English languages while exploring themes rooted in social realism.

The film was written and directed by Anwesh, while editing was handled by National Award-winning editor Aseem Sinha, known for his association with filmmakers such as Shyam Benegal and Ketan Mehta.

Music for the film has been composed by Anwesh and Raaya.
Stories From The Margins
Rather than centering around a single protagonist, Kathakar Ki Diary weaves together multiple narratives reflecting ordinary lives often absent from mainstream cinema.

The film follows a photographer battling cancer while racing against time to document the world around him; a resilient transwoman portrayed by Pune artist Yogesh Jadhav; a musician navigating personal and artistic struggles; a tribal athlete pursuing excellence from remote regions of Jharkhand and Odisha; and a toddler whose innocence quietly anchors the emotional texture of the film.

Artists from Pune, including Baby Aarohi Chatterjee, Yogesh Jadhav, Ashlesha Sundermal and Kapil Bhagwat, feature prominently in the project.

The storytelling approach has drawn appreciation from several members of the Indian film fraternity, including veteran actor Shatrughan Sinha, filmmaker Sai Kabir and director Sejal Shah.
The Global Festival Journey
Kathakar Ki Diary had its premiere in New York and has since travelled across North America, including screenings in the United States and Canada, along with festival appearances in Nigeria.

Its Indian premiere took place at the 31st Kolkata International Film Festival, where it received a NETPAC nomination for Best Asian Cinema. The film has also been screened at the Jagran Film Festival in Mumbai and the NFDC-supported Third Eye Asian Film Festival.

With its selection at AL ESTE – San Marcos 2026, the film has now completed its 12th international and national festival selection.

Founded in 2008, AL ESTE initially focused on bringing Central and Eastern European cinema to Latin American audiences. Over the years, the festival expanded into a larger platform connecting Asian and Latin American independent cinema through editions held across Peru, Colombia, Argentina and France.

This year’s edition is being organised in collaboration with the Faculty of Arts and Humanities at the National University of San Marcos in Peru, regarded as the oldest university in the Americas. The festival theme for 2026 is “Monsters, the Impossible Beasts,” exploring themes of institutional breakdown, social anxieties and contemporary human struggles through cinema.

Known for showcasing auteur-driven and experimental films, AL ESTE’s selection of Kathakar Ki Diary places the Pune-made independent feature within a wider international conversation around socially rooted storytelling and alternative cinema.
Cinema Beyond Commercial Boundaries
For Anwesh, the film appears to be less about commercial success and more about documenting overlooked lives through collaborative storytelling.

“We made a humble attempt. Cinema and public service can go hand in hand. The journey has just begun,” he said.

At a time when independent filmmakers continue to battle limited funding, distribution barriers and shrinking theatrical space, Kathakar Ki Diary stands as a reminder that some films are still built not through scale, but through shared belief.

And sometimes, stories born quietly in local landscapes find their way to audiences across continents.