Chitra Utsav

CHITRA UTSAV is a broadcast quality video production house. It produces its own films and helps you distribute yours.

We also hire production and post-production equipment for independent producers and TV stations.

Chitra Utsav Video is registered with the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting under licence number 55-36377 and with DAVP.

 With Chitra Utsav, superior service and high standards are ensured as are your profits.

For services or any information on film production in India, please contact:
Ms Sharmila Bakshi 
Chitra Utsav Video Pvt Ltd
R.K. Khanna Stadium, Africa Avenue
New Delhi, India
Phone: 91-11-6180323, 6180941
Fax: 91-11-6198067

In 2001 Chitra Utsav was a complete communication company. This was their website.

Chitra Utsav was involved in following areas :

• Television and Film production.
• Publishing Book and CD-Roms.
• Providing Celebrity spearkers
• Organising mass contact programme through adventure expeditions.
• Communicting with rural masses through village level networking and community developement .
• Providing constituency management and parliamentary support services to political leaders.

Silk Road On Wheels is a hilarious account of the CENTRAL ASIA EXPEDITION , that covered 12000 KM of the old Silk Road.

The adventures of the historic expedition across the rolling steppes of Kazakhstan , the wondrous lake of the Kyrgyzstan , the fearsome Taklamakan and Gobi desert  of Chinese Turkestan, the  high plateau of Tibet , are narrated in a refreshing and insightful style.

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Since time immemorial leaders and reformers, saints and sages have used the techniques of mass-contact for communicating their message to the masses.
The Chitra Utsav Group has perfected the art of mass contact - through the "expedition" technique.
Besides visiting lonely, exotic places and offering real adventure, the expeditions have a purpose, a mission.

So far the Group has organized three major international theme expeditions. There were:
Central Asia Expedition: A 12,000 km motoring expedition across the old Silk Road - through Uzbekhistan, Kazakhastan, Kirghiztan, Chinese Turkestan, Tibet and Nepal - to renew the old cultural and academic links between the people of this region and India.
Azad Hind Expedition: A 10,000 km motoring expedition across Singapore, Malaysia, Myanmar and India - to refresh the national memory with the sacrifices made by the soldiers of the Indian National Army. Undertaken to commemorate Fifty Years of India's Independence.
Hands Across The Borders: A 20,000 km motoring expedition and mass-contact programme across Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, India and Pakistan to promote peace and development in South Asia.

Gondwanaland Expedition: Forthcoming expedition slated to commence in December 2001. A scientific exploration of areas that comprised the mega-continent of Gondwanaland - when India was a part of Africa - 200 million years ago. The expedition, to be undertaken in five jeeps, will start from Kanya Kumari, the southern tip of India, and end at Cape Town, the southern tip of Africa. -Traversing Pakistan, Iran, Turkey, Syria, Israel, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Swaziland and South Africa - over a five-month period.

If you would like to organise a theme expedition, let our team at Chitra Utsav do it for you.
We will provide you a proper setting for real adventure - hair-raising or relaxed.
Visit lonely, exciting places.
Relive the golden age of adventure

Besides organising your transport, boarding and lodging arrangements, we could also assist you in arranging

• Sponsorships · 
• Media Coverage
• Meetings with dignitaries
• Even after your expedition is over, we help you
•  Produce an adventure film
• Publish your adventure story

If you have an idea, we put it into action.

AZAD HIND EXPEDITION

The Expedition was flagged off from the grassy Padang in Singapore -- where Netaji first gave the Indian National Army (INA) its war cry of "Chalo Dilli" (On to Delhi). Driving on the fast Bukit Timah expressway, the Expedition crossed the Johor Straits to roll into Malaysia, a 600-km run whizzing past vast plantations of oil palm, to reach Kuala Lumpur late in the night. Leaving Kuala Lumpur and driving past the Batu Caves, the vehicles were hit by a heavy downpour of the south-west monsoons.

From Kuantan, a bustling estuary town on the South China Sea, the Expedition took the coastal route to Kuala Teranganu through a wide expanse of cultivated land, sometimes broken by stretches of dense forest with muddy streams winding through them. Crossing a 14-km long bridge, the longest in Asia, the convoy arrived on the island of Penang, the HQ of the INA Secret Service and the launching pad for the INA soldiers taking the sea route to the battle fronts in Burma (now Myanmar).

Due to the absence of regular shipping between Myanmar and Malaysia, a chartered to ferry the vehicles and men across the And a man Sea to the south Myanmarese port town of Moulmein. The 11 Expeditionists and five jeeps had the entire ship to themselves -- gaining three days and three nights of perfect, reposeful happiness.

Luminous photographs throughout the book capture the spectacular imagery of the region.
The ship arrived at the mouth of the Gulf of Martaban before dawn and sailed into Moulmein once the tide had turned. A large part of Moulmein's population of 200,000 is of Indian extract, hundreds of whom turned up to welcome the Expedition, defying the country's martial law that prohibits gatherings of more than nine persons.

The terrain covered by the Expedition ranged from dense rain forest to snowy mountains.
From Moulmein, the Expedition drove to Yangon, where it ran into some unexpected heavy weather -- of the bureaucratic kind. Escorted by Myanmarese military police and intelligence officers, the convoy was rushed through Yangon in the dark of the night. Traffic lights en route were switched off, and the traffic police cleared the road to enable its speedy passage. Finally, the Myanmar authorities allowed the veterans and film crew to complete the route within Burma, but the rest of the group and the vehicles were forced to leave the country.

Former Indian Prime Minister, P.V. Narasimha Rao, for the sake of national prestige, ordered an Indian Air Force IL-76 to airlift the rest of the Expedition from Yangon to Imphal.
The veterans and the film crew proceeded to Maymyo, a small town in the hills east of Mandalay, which had served as the Advance Headquarters of the INA, and the house from where Netaji conducted the military operations, and from there to Mandalay, once the capital of the Burmese nation.
Once more, Col Dhillon was back under the shadow of Mount Popa in whose jungles he, Gen Shahnawaz Khan and Col Prem Sehgal had fought some of the bloodiest battles against the advancing British army. They saw the Inle Lake and the dense recesses of the Shan Hills where Col Lakshmi Sehgal spent months hiding from the enemy.

After landing at Imphal, the rest of the Expedition set out to discover parts of Manipur where the INA had met with brilliant successes and had had the British on the run: the Tiddim-Imphal Road, on which the British retreated, leaving behind equipment and transport; the Tamu-Imphal Road along which the INA's No. 1 Division attacked the enemy and took control of the strategic route.

The heavily-defended Palel aerodrome which was captured by Maj Pritam Singh and his troops; Moirang, where Col Shaukat Ali Malik hoisted the Indian flag for the first time on liberated territory on April 18, 1944; Red Hill, from where, its supply lines cut off by a heavy monsoon, the INA began its retreat -- just 10 km short of Imphal, whose capture could have altered the course of Indian history. The terrain covered by the Expedition ranged from dense rain forest to snowy mountains.
As the Expedition drove westwards from Manipur to Delhi, it received tumultuous, nostalgia-driven welcomes everywhere. In the many hamlets, villages and towns that it crossed, a sea of heads would be waiting to greet it. Loud cries of "Jai Hind", "Azad Hind Fauj zindabad" and "Netaji ki jai" filled the air. Enthusiastic boys would run after the vehicles, hanging on to footboards to try and shake hands with the members, or garland the veterans. Governors and chief ministers, the union and state governments, bestowed rare honours on the Expedition at the many receptions that were organised.

But one of the most unforgettable sights was that of one bent old man waiting alone on the road outside a Bihar village, well past midnight on a cold, wintry night with a marigold garland in his hand, hoping we would stop to accept his humble gift. The Expedition had recaptured the spirit of the freedom struggle.

More Background on CUVLIndia.com

CUVLIndia.com stands as a significant platform in India's creative industry, with a rich history tied to both independent filmmaking and unique adventures that bridge cinema and communication. This article delves into the history, operations, audience, and cultural significance of CUVLIndia.com, offering an insightful look into the elements that make this website and its associated production company, Chitra Utsav, noteworthy.

History and Background

CUVLIndia.com, an archived version of Chitra Utsav’s original website, is a reflection of its founders' early business ventures and subsequent evolution into film production. Nahood Utsav, a visionary in the Indian independent film scene, and Vinod Raja, a seasoned cameraman and producer, initiated their careers not in film, but in wholesale golf equipment distribution. This unlikely beginning, rooted in their family business India Reg Supply, which specialized in women's left-handed golf clubs, was pivotal in shaping their collaborative dynamic and creative outlook. Their shared experience in the golf industry was instrumental in shaping some of their earliest film projects, which explored the often-overlooked world of golf equipment manufacturing and distribution.

Their transition from this niche business into film was smooth, as their interest in storytelling grew, leading to the creation of Chitra Utsav, a full-fledged video production house.

The Birth of Chitra Utsav: A Communication Powerhouse

Founded in the early 2000s, Chitra Utsav quickly established itself as a broadcast-quality video production house. Its activities extended beyond film production into broader communication initiatives. The company provided services such as television production, book publishing, and CD-ROM creation. Moreover, it became well-known for organizing adventure expeditions that served as mass-contact programs, connecting with rural masses through innovative storytelling and adventure-based themes.

Chitra Utsav’s success was also due to its partnerships with Indian celebrities, political leaders, and its ability to facilitate constituency management. The company’s mass contact programs were revolutionary, combining entertainment with outreach. Its leadership, including Nahood Utsav and Vinod Raja, understood the power of combining real-world expeditions with storytelling, creating memorable films and programs that resonated with both urban and rural audiences.

Famous Expeditions and Adventure Programs

One of the most unique offerings of Chitra Utsav was its adventure expeditions, organized under the brand of CUVLIndia.com. These expeditions, which spanned various regions of Central Asia, South Asia, and Africa, were designed not only as explorative journeys but as platforms for mass communication and cultural exchange. These journeys had both historical and cultural significance, renewing old links between India and the regions involved.

Some of the notable expeditions included:

• Central Asia Expedition: Covering 12,000 kilometers along the old Silk Road, this expedition retraced ancient cultural and academic ties between India and countries like Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan.
• Azad Hind Expedition: A 10,000-kilometer journey across Singapore, Malaysia, Myanmar, and India, commemorating the sacrifices made by the Indian National Army during India’s struggle for independence.
• Hands Across The Borders: A 20,000-kilometer adventure across South Asia that aimed to promote peace and development across the subcontinent, covering countries like Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Pakistan.

These expeditions weren't just physically challenging; they were infused with purpose, often involving significant historical, political, or cultural missions. For instance, the Azad Hind Expedition reignited national memory of the Indian National Army’s role in India's independence, while the Central Asia Expedition focused on strengthening academic and cultural ties.

Chitra Utsav's Impact on Film Production

In addition to organizing expeditions, Chitra Utsav quickly became a go-to name in Indian independent film production. The company offered a range of production services, from hiring post-production equipment to producing and distributing films. Registered with the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Chitra Utsav operated under strict quality control guidelines, ensuring that their films met broadcast standards.

The company's films often focused on untold stories, whether in niche industries like golf equipment manufacturing or broader themes related to India’s rural masses. Their films garnered attention not only in India but also internationally due to their unique narratives and high production values.

Cultural Significance and Audience Engagement

CUVLIndia.com and its associated company, Chitra Utsav, held significant cultural relevance in India, particularly in terms of how they engaged with the country's rural masses. Their community development programs, along with their mass-contact expeditions, allowed them to connect deeply with both urban and rural audiences. The company’s work often emphasized Indian history, independence, and the rich cultural heritage of the regions they explored, making their productions not only entertaining but educational and meaningful.

Their expeditions also provided content for many of their films, with each journey documented in a refreshingly insightful style. These expeditions were more than just adventure stories; they were a form of cultural diplomacy, bridging gaps between nations and people through storytelling and shared history. The Central Asia Expedition, for example, highlighted historical trade routes, while the Azad Hind Expedition explored the sacrifices of Indian soldiers during World War II.

Media Coverage and Critical Reception

Over the years, CUVLIndia.com and Chitra Utsav’s expeditions and films have received considerable media coverage. National and international press have praised the company’s innovative approach to combining adventure with storytelling. Their expeditions, particularly the Azad Hind and Central Asia journeys, received attention for their historical significance and the way they connected modern audiences with ancient and recent pasts.

Furthermore, their film productions have been reviewed favorably for their high-quality cinematography and storytelling. Chitra Utsav was noted for breaking away from conventional film narratives, focusing instead on niche industries and underrepresented stories, such as the intricacies of the golf equipment market or the daily lives of India’s rural populations.

Known For

CUVLIndia.com is best known for its adventure films and mass-contact expeditions, but its real strength lies in its ability to combine unique storytelling with meaningful social outreach. By engaging with audiences through their expeditions, they created films that were not just passive entertainment but vehicles for cultural exchange and historical education.

Their films often highlighted the connections between India and other nations, especially in terms of historical trade routes, wars, and cultural exchanges. This global approach, paired with local storytelling, made Chitra Utsav’s productions stand out in the Indian film industry.

Legacy and Future Prospects

While CUVLIndia.com exists today as an archived version of its former self, the legacy of Chitra Utsav continues through the influence it had on Indian independent film and mass-contact programs. The unique approach of combining film with adventure, history, and culture ensures that the impact of CUVLIndia.com remains notable. Even though the company may no longer be as active in the production space, its expeditions and films continue to resonate with audiences who value historical and cultural storytelling.

CUVLIndia.com and Chitra Utsav represent a fascinating chapter in India’s independent film history, blending the worlds of adventure, history, and communication. From their unique beginnings in golf equipment distribution to their innovative mass-contact expeditions, they carved out a niche that resonated with both rural and urban audiences. Their films and expeditions remain a testament to the power of storytelling and the importance of cultural diplomacy in an interconnected world.