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Business News/ News / Business Of Life/  Algorithms: Making the right move
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Algorithms: Making the right move

A 100-minute documentary on blind chess players releases at select theatres on Friday

Algorithms is shot in black and white. Premium
Algorithms is shot in black and white.

NEW DELHI :

Ian McDonald is all smiles. Why shouldn’t he be? After all, his documentary on the “blind chess" scene in India, which was completed in early 2012, will finally be shown in theatres in six cities on 21 August.

“This is a dream come true. It’s not common for a documentary to get a theatrical release in India," says the British film-maker. Produced by his wife Geetha J., Algorithms will be released as part of PVR Cinemas’ Director’s Rare section, which supports independent cinema, in six cities across the country.

Algorithms has already travelled to film festivals in France, Russia, Nepal, Australia and South Africa. “It was important to take the film outside and get it released (theatrically) in the UK and US, as it introduced the world to the thriving but little-known world of blind chess players in India. But it was obviously more important that the film was seen here," says McDonald, who teaches film practice at UK’s Newcastle University.

Colours of emotion

The 100-minute black and white film captures the three-year journey of three chess players, starting 2009, as they practise and participate in tournaments in India and abroad. In the film, we meet Vadodara’s Darpan Inani, 15, who is the country’s highest ranked completely blind player; rising star SaiKrishna S.T., a 12-year-old from Chennai who is partially blind; and 16-year-old Anant Kumar Nayak from Bhubaneswar, a promising new talent, who is completely blind. The fulcrum of Algorithms, however, is the fourth character—the boys’ coach, Mumbai-based Charudatta Jadhav, a champion player who went blind in his teenage years.

“The thing about chess is that blind kids can play on a par with sighted kids, unlike in football or cricket. After four moves on the chessboard, it becomes difficult to calculate the next step. Then we start playing the game in our mind, so we are all blind," says McDonald. Hence the film tag line: Four Moves In, We Are All Blind.

“The film serves as an inspirational story to many young minds who hold themselves back to overcome their weaknesses," says Sanjeev Kumar Bijli, joint managing director, PVR Ltd.

The film is not meant to evoke sympathy. “It’s strictly observational. It’s about (the) highs and lows of life, about (one’s) relationship with parents and teachers, and the struggle to be successful, something everyone can relate to. In the beginning, we see the players as blind chess players. But as the film unfolds, we get to know that in the blind world, being blind is normal. The story transcends their handicap; we start seeing their various traits, their quirks, the way they deal with pressure," says Geetha.

Why Algorithms as a title? It’s a chess reference. “A blind person has to think ahead, algorithmically, to, say, move from their house to a shop. For them, that’s the case with everyday life. And that’s exactly the case with this game as well," says Geetha. “It offers a lesson for the blind and the sighted—to be good at chess, or life, you need vision, not sight."

Algorithms will release on 21 August at some PVR cinemas in New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Kochi. Timings and ticket prices vary. For details, visit www.pvrcinemas.com

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Pooja Singh
A journalist with over 15 years of experience. A Chevening fellow and graduate of Columbia University, New York
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Published: 20 Aug 2015, 09:12 PM IST
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