When a documentary about a dog brings an auditorium in Pune to tears, you know it has struck a rare emotional chord. Oslo: A Tail of Promise, produced by John Abraham, was recently screened at City Pride Kothrud, overflowing with audience that included the actor himself along with members of the cast and crew. The film, which tells the story of a Siberian Husky dog with a strong Pune connection, is now being taken to audiences across different parts of the world, but its homecoming screening made it especially meaningful. Addressing the audience after the screening, John appeared visibly emotional. “We’re not making a lot of special films today. This is special,” he said, thanking the audience for being part of the experience. At one point, he confessed that a particular sequence in the film had overwhelmed him. “I’ve seen it repeatedly… I got up and left because I couldn’t take it,” he admitted, sharing how deeply the story had affected him. He could barely finish his sentence as he started choking due to influx of emotions over the death of a beloved dog named Mahua. The evening turned into more than just a formal post-film interaction. John took a moment to acknowledge his friends from Pune, including Mandar Tamhane, CEO of his football team NorthEast United, and others from his motorcycling circle. But it was clear that the film remained the focus of his thoughts. “It’s an emotional moment for all of us,” he said. “I hope this brought a tear to your eyes and brought some joy and some emotion. Because that’s what films are meant to do.” Though the original schedule mentioned a meet-and-greet with the cast and crew, John kept his interaction limited to the brief on-stage formalities. Yet his presence — and more importantly, his belief in the story — underscored something significant for Pune. A documentary rooted in a local story has found a champion in one of Hindi cinema’s biggest names, and is now travelling beyond city and national borders. As Pooja Bhale, the subject of the 93-minute documentary, took to the stage to share her fondness of the film that is aimed at immortalising her pet companion Oslo. She said, ““What started as a small idea turned into 350 hours of footage, 45 days on the road, and a crew of 11 people who believed in this story. When we premiered the film at IFFI, and I was asked if this was the film I had dreamt of? I said, ‘Yes! It was so much more’.” And as the lights came on and Oslo himself made a brief appearance on stage, the applause in the hall made one thing clear — sometimes the things that surround us are the greatest treasure one can have.
