Sare Saath Film

This short film tells the story of a king who captures his rival’s wife and is confronted by an unexpected visitor which ultimately leads to the start of a brutal war.

The story is told as a dance drama in a silent film format led by kathak artist Labonee Mohanta and her dance company Lavanya Academy of Indian arts.

The music, set in a seven-and-a-half beat rhythmic cycle (Sare Saath) was composed and arranged by Ritesh Das and performed by the Toronto Tabla Ensemble with guest violinist Raaginder Singh Momi.

Those who are familiar with the Ramayana might recognize the characters in this story along with a few visual clues throughout the film. Without the use of props, the dancers tell the story by using hand and face gestures as well as body movements and footwork.

Director Melissa Das-Arp teamed up with Manantsoa Razafimandimby and Alka Garg who created the costumes to give the film a more modern and timeless feeling.

There are text panels (intertitles) woven throughout which provide insight into the thoughts and communication between the characters. The text panels are colour coded matching the characters along with icons referencing back to the original story in the Ramayana.

Sare Saath was filmed at Astrolab Studios in Toronto by cinematographer Jason Providence and audio production was completed at Kuhl Muzik by Gary Honess.