I often wonder why the Indian press does not take up this issue – nor does the Indian government. The huge calamity looming over India right now, that will potentially make economic growth grind to a halt is not the US subprime crisis, but the shortage of ground water that is gradually eating away at […]
As part of the script development for my next film Paani (water) I have made certain assumption, one of which is that rural ground water will be depleted to satisfy the needs of the mega ciites, causing famine in rural areas, leading in turn, to huge migrations to the Mega cities. Creating unsustainable Mega Cities. […]
We have forgotten how to worship water. After all if water is available to you on tap, and in the same place as you do your daily toilette , how could you even respect it ? Water to us has become functional – so we have started to take it for granted. It is now […]
Another picture form my Paani photo file : In Mumbai many of the slum and pavement dwellers begin their search for water at 3 am daily. Many having to buy water from the ‘water mafia’ at Rs 5 per ‘Handi’. Considering that it takes upto 4/5 handi’s to just cook a meal, many people are […]
3 years ago, before I started on Golden Age, I began to compile pictures of people that live on the streets and under the new highways. Pictures that would help in the research for what conditions are likely to be for people that live on streets and in water deprived conditions. As many of you […]
Sharing with all of you one of the pictures I took of the Dharavi slums in Mumbai slums during my visual research for Paani.
So what is Paani about and what provokes me to want to make the film ? And if it provokes me so much, then why have I not made it so far ?
Paani is a film about a city of 20 million inhabitants which runs dry of water. The water wars have begun between those that still have water and those that do not. Water has now become a weapon of political, social and economic exploitation.
Today another dream was rekindled. Paani. A film that has lived in my consciousness for almost 5 years, when I watched 50 women and children standing in the hot sun in Mumbai. Each carrying a bucket waiting for a tap to start dripping with water.