J L Kaul: A Man of Action

This is the story of Jawahar Lal Kaul, a visually impaired man who received the Padma Shri Award and whose contribution allowed him to give up his material possessions in order to pursue a life of service to others.

The duration of the film is 30 minutes, and the film is shot in 4K with 16:9 ratio. The film is in Hindustani language with English subtitles. It is written by Bilal A Jan and Dr. Chandra Nisha Singh. The film was recently selected for the 16th International Documentary Film Festival of Kerala IDSFFK 2024, in a short documentary focus section. The festival starts from July 26th to 31st July 2023 in Kerala. The film was also in MIFF BAZAR 2024.

The film shooting was done in Srinagar, Delhi, and Amritsar, Punjab. It took me one year to complete the film.

Why this film?

I was inspired and moved by his unending struggle, despite being a visually impaired man. It’s not because Shri Jawahar Lal Kaul, a visually impaired man, is a native of Kashmir that I chose him. But because of his enthusiasm for social work, he delves deeply into his accomplishments and challenges in life. He appears to be a kind man and a role model for many young people, both inside and outside our nation. His drive, goal-oriented vision, internal and external conflicts, heartbreaking hardships, and accomplishments are all reflections of the real world.

Elements like a major character, high stakes, exclusive access, and a satisfying conclusion are typically present in a successful biographical documentary film. I discovered each of these components in my project, PADAM SHRI J. L. KAUL: A MAN OF ACTION, ranking him alongside the two most influential Indian social activists, the late Mother Teresa and the late Shri Baba Amate.

Challenges during shooting:

The biggest challenge was to find a financier, and by the grace of Allah, friends of mine helped me out of this problem. I am very thankful to Mr. Suhail Bakshi and Dr. Ali Mohammed Rather for helping me in this regard.

The second challenge involved interacting with a visually impaired man, understanding his life and struggles, and managing visually impaired individuals during the filming process. As in the past, I have not made any films regarding the disability subject, though I have extensively worked with social issues linked to child labor, women’s issues, and disaster. But this was the first time I dealt with such a subject in my life. The second challenge was that my film’s protagonist was based in Delhi, and his works have been spread across India, so I had to cover some other locations apart from Kashmir. So I did the shoot in phases.

So at last, I completed the film in the stipulated time period, and I am very thankful to my production team, particularly my film protagonist, Shri Jawahar Lal Kaul, for their unending support in making this film possible.

The protagonist, J.L. Kaul, had to overcome numerous social barriers and prejudices in order to not only find a place in this world but also, through his tireless work for the visually impaired, create social and legislative spaces for thousands of others.