Katiyabaaz

Katiyabaaz is a story of Kanpur's electricity crisis, resulting in loadshedding. Power cuts of up to 15 hours a day cause great trouble to residents and factories alike. This gap in supply and demand becomes the bedrock of local electricity thieves like Loha Singh, who provide illegal power connection to people, by plugging into the official supply through live wires. However such free connection causes heavy financial losses to the power supply company, whose MD struggles to fight the menace of power theft, and local fixers.{{cite news |title=Film review: Katiyabaaz |url=http://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/movie-review/film-review-katiyabaaz/ |publisher= The Indian Express |author=Shubhra Gupta |date= 22 August 2014 |accessdate=2014-08-29}} The film follows Loha Singh, an electricity thief, and Ritu Maheshwari, an official with Kanpur Electricity Supply Company.

The film was made on a small budget of {{INR Convert|1|c}} and had music by fusion rock band Indian Ocean who composed and sang the song Kanpoora for the film. The film was shot over a period of nearly two years, with a crew of 10-12 people. Instead of staying at hotels, the crew rented a bungalow and furnished it, which was economical.

The film's co-director, Fahad Mustafa, originally from Kanpur, researched the subject for six months before he started filming. However, they came across Loha Singh, the "katiyabaaz" (electricity thief) around whom the film is based, only after the shooting had already started and another katiyabaaz had backed out at the last moment. Loha Singh, himself was initially apprehensive about allowing himself be filmed, as he thought it to be a sting operation on his work or the crew to be of the Dabangg film series. The rumour about the latter, drew large crowds to filming locations, hampering production. The fact that some of the crew were foreigners also created much curiosity. Gradually Loha Singh and the locals became comfortable with the film crew. The crew shot candid conversations, several individual stories and the crippling effects of electricity crisis in the area on the common man, local industries as well as small business owners.{{cite web | title = Katiyabaaz: Filmmakers talk about documenting Kanpur's battle for electricity | url = http://www.firstpost.com/bollywood/katiyabaaz-filmmakers-talk-about-documenting-kanpurs-battle-for-electricity-1179769.html |author= Deepanjana Pal |date=28 August 2014 | accessdate = 2014-08-30 }}{{cite news | title = Thought I will end up in jail for 'Katiyabaaz': Loha Singh |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/Thought-I-will-end-up-in-jail-for-Katiyabaaz-Loha-Singh/articleshow/41176059.cms |date=29 August 2014 |accessdate = 2014-08-30 |work=The Times of India }}

After its premiere at the Berlin International Film Festival 2013, the film traveled to various film festivals including the Tribeca Film Festival, the Melbourne International Film Festival, the Motovun Film Festival and the London Raindance Film Festival.{{cite news | title = Katiyabaaz comes to Kanpur | url = http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/Katiyabaaz-comes-to-Kanpur/articleshow/39684641.cms |author=Sumit Jha |date= 31 July 2014 |accessdate = 2014-08-30 | work= The Times of India}}

The film received backing for commercial released when Phantom Films, co-owned by filmmaker Anurag Kashyap, Vikramaditya Motwane and Vikas Bahl, with funding from international sources, signed on to present the film. In end July, The film's trailer was released by director-producer Anurag Kashyap in Mumbai. The film was commercially released on 22 August 2014. It had a limited release across 50 screens in cities like Mumbai, Lucknow, Pune, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Kanpur.{{cite news | title = 'Katiyabaaz': A documentary maker challenges mainstream space | url = http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/Katiyabaaz-A-documentary-maker-challenges-mainstream-space/articleshow/40768405.cms |date= 23 August 2014 |accessdate = 2014-08-30 |work= The Times of India}}

The film was very well received by both international and well as national press. The largest German national paper, Süddeutsche Zeitung, gave Katiyabaaz a fantastic review after its premiere at the Berlin International Film Festival.{{cite news |title=Wettbewerb der Berlinale: Wenn Robin Hood Strom Stiehlt |work=Süddeutsche Zeitung |url=http://www.sueddeutsche.de/kultur/wettbewerb-der-berlinale-wenn-robin-hood-strom-stiehlt-1.1599699 |date=19 February 2013}} According to Tom Brook from BBC's Talking Movies, "the filmmakers very effectively bring what could be rather dry subject to life".{{cite web |title=A spotlight on Tribeca Film Festival's documentaries |work=BBC |url=http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20130501-tribecas-documentary-highlights |date= 2 May 2013 |author=Tom Brook}} Aarti Virani wrote in The New York Times that the film was "a jarring glimpse at India’s rampant energy crisis".{{cite news |title=In 'Powerless,' India's Electricity Crisis Pits Maverick Against the State |author=Aarti Virani |date=25 April 2013 |work=New York Times |url=http://india.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/04/25/new-documentary-powerless-captures-indias-electricity-crisis-on-fil/}} Abhimanyu Das wrote an extensive article about the film, Creatures of Light and Darkness in the Caravan magazine.

Deepanjana Pal of Firstpost called the film a "beautifully-shot documentary".{{cite news |title=Katiyabaaz review: Small-town India at its electric, despairing best |work=Firstpost |url= http://www.firstpost.com/bollywood/katiyabaaz-review-small-town-india-at-its-electric-despairing-best-1200461.html |author=Deepanjana Pal |date=22 August 2014 |accessdate = 2014-08-30 }} Leading film critics gave it glowing reviews. Rajeev Masand called it a "Slice of Life" film.{{cite web |url=http://ibnlive.in.com/news/katiyabaaz-review-the-film-is-a-slice-of-life-that-will-resonate-with-you/493691-8-66.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140825002412/http://ibnlive.in.com/news/katiyabaaz-review-the-film-is-a-slice-of-life-that-will-resonate-with-you/493691-8-66.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=25 August 2014 |title='Katiyabaaz' review: The film is a slice of life that will resonate with you |author=Rajeev Masand |work=IBN Live |date=23 August 2014 }} Anupama Chopra referred to it as a "sad love letter to Kanpur".{{cite web |title=Katiyabaaz review |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=caVxvHT7xo4 |date=22 August 2014 |work=Film Companion}} Mihir Fadnavis reviewed the film for DNA India, where he called it "more hilarious, insightful and gorgeous than a feature film".{{cite web |title=Hitting the sweet spot with documentaries: 'Katiyabaaz' has some truly incredible footage and moments |author=Mihir Fadnavis |date=27 October 2013 |work=DNA India |url=http://www.dnaindia.com/entertainment/column-hitting-the-sweet-spot-with-documentaries-katiyabaaz-has-some-truly-incredible-footage-and-moments-1909425}} Mumbai's leading lifestyle website, Mumbai Boss, called Katiyabaaz a "crackling documentary!"{{cite web|title='Katiyabaaz' Is A Crackling Documentary About Kanpur's Electricity Crisis |url=http://mumbaiboss.com/2014/08/22/katiyabaaz-is-a-crackling-documentary-about-kanpurs-electricity-crisis/ |date=22 August 2014 |work=Mumbai Boss |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20141016235656/http://mumbaiboss.com/2014/08/22/katiyabaaz-is-a-crackling-documentary-about-kanpurs-electricity-crisis/ |archivedate=16 October 2014 }}

On 28 August 2014, the Government of Uttar Pradesh exempted the film from entertainment tax and also directed engineers of state power department to watch the film and "draw inspiration to stop illegal connections".{{cite web | title ='Katiyabaaz' tax free in Uttar Pradesh |work=Zee News | url = http://zeenews.india.com/entertainment/movies/katiyabaaz-tax-free-in-uttar-pradesh_1461565.html |date=28 August 2014 |accessdate = 2014-08-30 }}

{{reflist|30em}}

• {{Official website|http://www.powerless-film.com/}}
• {{IMDb title|2466678}}

Category:Indian documentary films

Category:Films set in Uttar Pradesh

Category:Energy crises

Category:Kanpur

Category:Films shot in Uttar Pradesh

Category:2013 documentary films

Category:2013 films

Category:Crime in Uttar Pradesh

Category:Documentary films about crime

Category:Indian crime films

Category:Films scored by Gingger Shankar