Mumbai to host a film fest dedicated to nomadic tribes of India

A still from the film, The Lost Behrupiya by Sriram Dalton, which won the Best Film on Art and Culture at the 61st National Film Award

Few might be aware that back in 1871, the colonial British Government in India had introduced an act - Criminal Tribes Act where around two hundred (mostly Nomadic Tribes) were notified as criminal or born criminals. After Independence in 1952, the Act was repealed and replaced with the Habitual Offenders' Act. The tribes then turned from being criminal to denotified.

A still from Paandhrya

"The population of these tribes comprise over 11 per cent of the entire country and their plight continues to be terrible," says Mayank Sinha, coordinator with National Alliance Group for Denotified and Nomadic Tribe (NAG - DNT), that is organising the Nomad Movie festival from today at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences. "The festival is an attempt to showcase short films, movies and documentaries on the issue of nomadic and denotified tribes and bring together the filmmakers who are engaged with the issues of these communities," he says. Some of the films in this first-time festival have been made by people who belong to these communities.

The Fight of Survivor by Dakxin Chara is based on the Dugbar Tribe

The films were chosen on the basis of their relevance and their ability to communicate, by a board comprising senior journalist Gautam Agarwal; researcher with Praxis, Dheeraj; Supreme Court advocate, Mangla Verma; media head SEEDS, Meghna Chawla and painter and researcher, Dr Madan Meena.

"We did not want films that were too academic or slow and for these reasons some films were rejected," he says. The festival is being organised as a tribute to author and activist late Mahashweta Devi, who was the founder of National Alliance Group for Denotified and Nomadic Tribes.

On: December 12, 3pm to 7pm
At: TISS, VN Purav Marg, Deonar
Call: 9810279812