Holy Cowboys
In small-town India, where cows are considered sacred, a teenage boy and his group of friends set off on a quest to become saviors of the holy cow only to find themselves under the grip of right-wing nationalism.
Interview with Director Varun Chopra
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
The guiding principle behind Holy Cowboys was the intricate knowledge of the world, the story and how it resonates with my own internal discords in an increasingly intolerant world.
I felt confused yet curious to know everything about the world of ‘cow saviors’ and what may be behind the impulses of people who were co-opting and movement and acting on behalf of all Hindus, calling believers to ‘save’ our bovine ‘mother’. My team and I ventured out and gained access to this world of cow vigilantes to observe how young boys and men with earnest beliefs are radicalized in a system of political interests, and how their resentment against the system is exploited and reoriented towards engendering hate against minority groups.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
Holy Cowboys is a window into the world of young boys from a small town in India. It intends to capture the potent irony of violent vigilantism in the name of the cow (a docile animal considered sacred and likened to a nourishing mother), in an effort to radicalize followers of Hinduism - a religion formed on the core ideals of non-violence.
Our film follows a hybrid form to reveal a brutal systemic reality where a call for the protection of the holy cow has become a free pass for mob lynchings of minority groups and a tool to radicalize the youth in the name of the sacred cow - a symbol of modesty and religious sanctitude for millions of Indians.
All while, India remains the second biggest exporter of cattle meat in the world and stray cattle forage garbage dumps on the streets of the same country that considers it sacred.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
The main character, Gopal is the embodiment of a burgeoning nation - on the cusp of finding himself through a cause he pursues and the ethos he thinks to be true.
Personal intersects the political in India, in this story with rare access into a Hindu nationalist group. The film combines a hybrid form with an observational lens, tracing the reality of youth in rural India and probing a dangerous reality through the eyes of a person on the cusp of adulthood.
I believe this story has a timely, universal appeal in today's overwhelming, violently unstable world where like the protagonist, we are pushed to constantly question the timbre and worth of our beliefs and values. I want the audience to feel the weight of their choices and excavate where the personal meets the political and push viewers to reflect on disparities of religion and class, complicated by staunch ideologies.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
It evolved to include more nuances and layers to the story. As is typically the case with documentaries, we learned a lot more about our own voice in this film and what we want to say, in the editing stage.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
A lot of feedback about how this piece moves audiences from varied different backgrounds.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
Yes - interesting to hear that a niche story about a very particular theme, set in semi-rural India could in fact feel universal and contextually relatable to someone living in Europe or North America.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
We're hoping to build more interest and following for the film as we end our exciting film festival run and proceed towards distribution.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
Distributors, Sales agents and Journalists (for reviews). This film has been a high-risk endeavor for all involved and we haven't been able to showcase it in India because of it. We are hopeful to find an international distribution that allows us to have a bigger audience.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
I would love for it to be a primer to the modus operandi of growing right-wing fascism in India, one that helps push focus and create an urgency for what is developing in the so-called "largest democracy in the world" under a staunch ideology that likens dissent or even disagreement to treason.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
Politicization of compassion?
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
Working on a new short documentary and developing a feature film set in a similar world as Holy Cowboys.
Interview: January 2023
We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTQIA+, POC, First Nations, scifi, supernatural, horror, world cinema. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela
Holy Cowboys
In small-town India, where cows are considered sacred, a teenage boy and his group of friends set off on a quest to become saviors of the holy cow only to find themselves under the grip of right-wing nationalism.
Length: 24:17
Director: Varun Chopra
Producer: Anna Hashmi
Writer: Varun Chopra
About the writer, director and producer:
VARUN CHOPRA is an India & US based award-winning filmmaker. He is Sundance Institute's Ignite Fellow, Visual Communications Asian American Fellow and Film Independent Screenwriting lab fellow. His work has screened across the globe and been released by platforms like PBS, Vimeo Staff picks, Nowness and more. Varun is a Young Directors Award (YDA) recipient and has directed an array of projects across continents working for brands like National Geographic, Condé Nast, Fox Life among others.
ANNA HASHMI is the co-founder, and Executive Producer of The Corner Shop - an Emmy-nominated company. Her experience in the industry spans over 24 years, working first in the UK, then internationally before moving full-time to the USA, where the company is based in Los Angeles. She has produced short films for The New York Times, The Atlantic, BBC and more.
Looking for: journalists and sales agents
Twitter: @theVarunChopra
Instagram: @maroon_with_a_v
Hashtags used: #HolyCowboysfilm, #HolyCowboysshort, #IndianShortFilm, #HolyCowboys
Website: www.holycowboysfilm.com
Other: Vimeo
Made in association with: The Corner Shop
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month?
Clermont Ferrand, France - January 30
International Film Festival Rotterdam, The Netherlands - January 28
Big Sky Documentary Film Festival, USA - Feb 17-26