Ladakh 470: Producer Roopa Barua Reveals Challenge of Capturing Ultrarunner's Journey
Sufiya Sufi's epic 470km ultramarathon across treacherous Ladakh is brought to life in Ladakh 470. Producer Roopa Barua faced not just harsh terrain but also the challenge of capturing Sufi's emotions in this 38-minute documentary. Honouring the Indian Army, the film's top 10 recommendation at IFFI promises a stirring display of human endurance and spirit.
When the story of ultrarunner Sufiya Sufi's daredevil high altitude run from Siachen War Memorial to Kargil War Memorial in 2022 was planned to be portrayed on screen, the key challenge besides extreme climate and terrain was to make the audience feel her emotions, says the documentary's producer Roopa Barua. Ladakh 470 is about four-time Guinness world record holder Sufi's run covering a distance of 470 km in seven days through the treacherous terrain to honour the Indian Army during Kargil Vijay Diwas 2022. The 38-minute film in Hindi with English subtitles, which is directed by Shivam Singh Rajput, was one of the top 10 recommended films in Film Bazaar at the recently-concluded 54th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa. It will be screened at the Himachal Short Film Festival in Manali on Saturday and the Brahmaputra Valley Film Festival in Guwahati the next day. First Act Trailer: Bollywood’s Unexplored Journey of Child Artists Captured in This Upcoming Prime Video Documentary (Watch Video).
The inclement weather, treacherous passes running up to 18,000 feet, scant oxygen and the short deadline to complete the race were seen as a real test of courage and endurance. "When Sufiya proposed the film to us, the immediate challenge I saw was the dangerous terrain and unruly weather that would be such an integral part of the shoot. Also, the challenges of wading through Army permissions and the delays that we may encounter because of that," Barua told PTI. "From a storytelling point of view, the challenge was to make the audience feel the emotions of an ultrarunner and why she is running to honour the Kargil victims. The story had to have the right emotional appeal without added jingoism," the producer added. DocuBay Announces Original Documentary Slate, Greenlights Six Projects With More in Pipeline.
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This film is somewhat different in terms of terrain and an almost abstract concept of honouring Kargil bravehearts through ultrarunning, she said. "I had not attempted that before. Other than that, since I have already done two sports documentaries - Riders of the Mist and Daughters of the Polo God, I was quite familiar with the technical and story requirements for a sports documentary," said Barua, who is the sister of popular singer Joi Barua.