The captivating TVF Aspirants series on the arduous journey of civil services aspirants garnered nationwide attention for its insightful portrayal of the aspirants' struggles. However, amidst the limelight, it's important to recognize the hundreds of Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) aspirants who endure an even more gruelling path to success.
Tucked away in Pune's Peth area, a community of dedicated individuals spends years striving day and night to achieve their dreams of clearing the MPSC exam. Although such students can be found all over Maharashtra, Peth is a particularly bustling hub for Maharashtra civil services aspirants.
A captivating new film called "Yathavkash" has been brought to life, chronicling the struggles and triumphs of the MPSC aspirants. The film is directed and written by an officer who went through all these struggles.
The first public screening of the film was held at The National Film Archive of India in Pune on Sunday. Director Akshay Indikar, Marathi actor and director Atul Pethe and former Principal Secretary to the Government of Maharashtra Mahesh Zagade were present for the screening along with several aspirants and film enthusiasts.
Suicide of one of aspirant and the film
The director and writer of the film is Avinash Shembatwad who is posted as a Tehsildar in the Chandrapur district of Maharashtra. Hailing from Kharatwadi village in Nanded district, a small tribal pada, his childhood was spent travelling across Marathwada due to his father's work. Cinema had always fascinated him since his early years. He came to Pune to pursue the dream of studying cinema at FTII. But fate had other plans for him, and he found himself preparing for competitive exams instead.
Speaking to the Free Press Journal about the film, Avinash said, "It was the suicide of one of our fellow aspirants that pushed me to finally start writing the story of our struggles as students. Despite being laughed at by established people in the industry, I decided that this was our story to tell the world. With a small amount of money raised from our own pockets, we formed a team of students and learned the technical aspects of filmmaking on our own. With a burning passion to tell our story in our own way, we faced every challenge head-on and never looked back."
Motive behind the film
Famous YouTuber Jeevan Aghav and Deputy Collector Sayli Solanke are playing prominent roles in this film. One song from the film 'Laal Divyachi Gadi' had gone viral after its release and showcased a journey through its lyrics.
"The driving force behind this film was not the prospect of monetary gain, but rather a desire to shed light on the struggles faced by competitive exam students, and to offer guidance and hope to those who may follow in their footsteps," added Avinash.
