20 September,2020 07:36 AM IST | Mumbai | Prutha Bhosle
The Udaipur Jail houses a music academy, where inmates learn a variety of instruments
Cousins Shafaat Shahbandari and Tayyab Hassan Ajaib have been travelling across the southern states of India since August 2019, after they launched Thousand Shades of India (TSOI), an online platform that features the country's lesser-known heroes striving to make a difference. For this, their journalism experience came in handy. Bengaluru-based Shahbandari, 38, says, "We are two passionate storytellers who travel across India to find stories that inspire, and strengthen the world's belief in the eternal values of humanity. We use the documentary, short video, features and tiny tales formats."
During one such trip to Rajasthan, they found the story for their latest documentary, Stars Behind Bars. The film, now available for viewing on YouTube, was shot in a day. "In March, we attended the Learning Societies unConference (LSuC) and met the event's host Manish Jain. A chat with him led us to an initiative started by his organisation, Shikshantar," Shahbandari shares.
Shafaat Shahbandari and Tayyab Hassan Ajaib
In October 2018, a chance visit to Udaipur Jail by the Shikshantar members resulted in a new innovation - The Swaraj Jail University. Jain, its co-founder, tells us, "We realised that several of the inmates harboured talent. We wished that they pursue their passions, whether for organic farming, music, computer education or hairstyling. The jail superintendent was supportive, leading to the birth of this one-of-a-kind university."
After conversations revealed each of their passions, they were provided training in house, in the hope that once they went back into the world, they'd be discouraged from slipping into the cesspool of crime. "We sought permissions, but the Coronavirus lockdown was around the corner. So, we had ourselves a day and set up our equipment to film the prisoners. The jail was an interesting backdrop in fact, because its walls are beautifully painted by the inmates. The vibe is far from that of a jail," Shahbandari adds.
Today, the NGO has several programmes running for its inmates. There is a music academy and recording studio, yoga and meditation centre, and training is provided in computer, multimedia design and filmmaking, painting, and organic farming. Jain, who holds a masters degree in education from Harvard University, adds, "The inmates also have a Sufi band. Inmate Judge Bhai, who loves Sufi music, has been supporting and mentoring other inmates to learn vocals, harmonium and dholak. It is quite inspiring what they do in there. Can prison be a place for healing, dreaming and learning? We think so."
Watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9xtiXlX9oM&t=553s
Follow: @thousandshadesofindia, Instagram
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