Girda Amar Rahe

Girda (right) with Pathak and Negi in New Jersey, 2007

Girda, the soul and the light of Uttarakhand breathed his last in Haldwani on August 22nd, 2010. As noted by the Tribune,

The man of the masses, Girish Tewari, who was fondly known as Girda, was bid adieu by his relatives, friends and followers coming from all across the state and all walks of life this morning. Having lived a selfless life committed to the cause of the people, Girda had breathed his last at the Sushila Tewari Hospital in Haldwani yesterday.

A revolutionary and a rebel that he was, Girda was bid a farewell reserved for the revolutionaries. People from all walks of life accompanied the funeral procession and sang songs that were either written by Girda or were his favourite. As soon as his last journey began from his house in Kailakhan, the air reverberated with his songs that were sung by people with tears in their eyes. The songs were only interrupted with slogans like “Jankavi Girda amar rahe”. The people continued singing his songs all along the 3-km route to the cremation grounds in the Pines area.

The singing hit a crescendo when his pyre was lit by his son Tuhin and his mortal remains were consigned to the flames. The weather too had decided to remain calm during Girda’s last journey and when his friends, relatives and followers bid adieu to him.

Himalayan Films

Launched as a Musical Company initially, Himalayan Films is a brainchild of prominent NRI Uttarakhandi Ravindra Lakhera and renowned folk singer Narendra Negi. It has been setup to promote local folk and it aims at working for the preservation and conservation of the hill folk music. Himalayan Films is planning to release one number per month. The Company has signed many young artists and is looking for new talent. Company’s move to promote local folk is considered a good sign for Uttarakhandi folk as the company has an experienced artist like Narendra Negi in its board.

Introducing Yaad Ali Tehri

A labour of love for Uttarakhand director, actor, and playwright Madan Duklan, Yaad Ali Tehri was released to much fanfare earlier this year. See a promo below:

Coverage of Silver Jubilee Celebrations

On June 6, a function was held to screen the first sneak peeks of Parashar Gaur’s new film, Gaura as well as mark the 25th anniversary of the premiere of Jagwal and the launch of Uttarakhand cinema in general. The following articles have been clipped from various local dailies.