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| Poster for my film |
Accidental wrong turns on the streets of Mumbai often lead to surprises. A few very specific turns in Girgaon, the old heart of Mumbai elicit a gasp from even the toughest critics of the city. For, just beyond these turns lies Khotachiwadi; a quaint urban village. A cacophony of curving-winding lanes, colourful Burma-teak houses with verandas, chawls and Art-deco buildings all inhabited by generation upon generation of the same family. This Mumbai-unique village is one of many. These villages are a testimony to the layers of history that this city is steeped in. Each of its unique features a remnant from every era lived through. If only these spaces could speak.
Konachi wadi? is a film that tries to give a voice to Khotachiwadi. It explores the definitions of what can be defined as a wadi. Is a wadi just a tumble of gallies and buildings or does it have something more to it? The call of a fisherwoman, the couple that fell in love across balconies, the chapel with its neon cross and the house next to it where someone strums a guitar while the beer warms with droplets of condensation and dusk becomes night.
This 35-minute documentary film and supporting research was my Diploma project. This project was funded by the NID-Ford Foundation Scholarship and was completed in September 2010.
Watch this space for more on Khotachiwadi!
