Goa woke up to the news that a Konkani language short film, Uskaikar ‘Wagro’ (Place of Worship), directed by Sainath, has been accepted at the Cannes Film Festival 2022. The film was accepted in the Short Film Corner category, which aims to promote young and emerging talent, and create an interaction between the artists and the industry.
‘Wagro’ narrates a tale of a couple who struggle with various circumstances and problems. The storyline and direction has been given by Sainath Uskaikar, a Goan who is currently studying at the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune, Goa. He is an engineer by qualification, and has worked with two-time national award winners, the ‘De Goan Studio’, Rajesh R. Pedenkar and Gayatri Pednekar.
Also, Bishwadeep Dipak Chatterjee, who has won several awards for best soundtrack, has worked on the sound design and mixing. Liju Prabhakar, a two-time Kerala state award winner is also part of the film ‘Wagro’.
Minister for Art and Culture, Govind Gaude, took to social media and said, “Our young filmmaker and currently a student of direction at FTII Pune @sainathuskaikar, has made Goa proud. His short film ‘Wagro’ has been included in Festival de Cannes 2022 in the Short Film Corner category. This inclusion marks a new hope and promise for Goa’s artistry.”
The cast for the film includes Shravan Fondekar, Sobita Kudtarkar, Pranav Tengse and Amodi Sanap. While, Amey Simepurushkar has worked on the film’s cinematography.