10 months ago

Filmmaker Goutam Ghose Discusses Rivers, Displacement, and His Film 'Parikrama'

Filmmaker Goutam Ghose Discusses Rivers, Displacement, and His Film 'Parikrama'
‘I am obsessed with rivers’: Goutam Ghose on 'Parikrama', old films, and stories of displacement · telegraphindia.com

A filmmaker named Goutam Ghose really loves rivers and has made many movies about them!

He was inspired to make a film called 'Parikrama' after seeing how a river valley called Narmada was changed.

Many people lost their homes because of a big dam.

He also talked about a special walk people do around the Narmada river.

Ghose mentioned that other countries are working hard to remove old dams from rivers to help nature.

He believes we should be careful with rivers, especially in the mountains, so we don't cause big problems like floods.

He uses rivers in his movies to tell stories about people's lives and how they connect with nature.

Key facts

Filmmaker's Obsession
Goutam Ghose expresses an obsession with rivers and their significance in his films.
Film 'Parikrama'
Inspired by the Narmada Valley and the story of displacement, focusing on a child leaving home to earn money and buy land for his father.
Narmada Valley Context
Ghose witnessed the Narmada Valley in the 1990s during protests and observed the submergence of a river confluence and tribal villages by 2007.
River Metaphors
Uses rivers as metaphors for endurance (in 'Paar') and plans to start a film on Subhas Bose with a river crossing scene.
Documentary 'Beyond the Himalayas'
Explored dried-up rivers in Central Asia.
Teesta River Observation
Noticed efforts to block Teesta river waters for energy production through barrages and tunnels.
Narmada Parikrama
Fascinated by the ritual and hardship of the Narmada parikrama, which involves walking along the river's banks.
Global River Restoration
Notes European countries removing river barriers and the US planning dam removals, including on the Snake River.

Quotes

Filmmaker

A filmmaker being interviewed by Moumita Chaudhuri.

“I was originally planning to do a film for children. It was based on a story written by my Italian friend. The story of an Indian child whose father has lost all his land to debt. The child leaves home to earn money and buy land for his father. But I was searching for a real context, which I found in the Narmada Valley.”
telegraphindia.com
“I had been there in the 1990s when protests were in full swing. I had been to Omkareshwar, which is the confluence of the Narmada and Kaveri rivers. It was beautiful. There was no dam, no blocks. It is where people go for a holy dip. The river was barricaded later. When I revisited the Narmada Valley in 2007, the confluence had gone under water. The tribal villages that used to stand on either side of the river had also gone under water. I was shocked.”
telegraphindia.com

Sources

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