FILMS

THE ELEPHANT DOCTOR

In Kerela, the Elephant Doctor is no ordinary veterinary doctor. He is a very busy man tending to more than 6 to 10 elephants a day. Dr. Panicker has a special relationship with his mammoth friends and is also doing a scientific research on them.

TRACKING THE JANGAMS AT THE MAHAKUMBH

"Jangams" who hail from Haryana, Punjab and Himachal, attired with peacock feathered turbans, are believed to be born out of Lord Shiva's thigh. Unfamiliar to most Indians, the Jangams speak a mixed language, and are the last exponents of a long traditional culture.

RAJAS OF THE BURNING GHATS

In Varanasi, the heirs of the cremation grounds are the Dom rajas. People come from all over India to receive the eternal fire from the Dom rajas to light the pyres of their loved ones. The concept of death, according to Hindu philosophy, is an accepted part of life, in contrast to the West where most people are frightened of death.

THE DISHUM DISHUM MAN

The documentary explores the world of the stunt men of Mumbai, through the eyes of Mahendra Verma, the son of Bollywood’s first stuntman. As a Stunt Director he conceives and directs action sequences with his team of stuntmen. With no insurance or safety equipment, these brave men execute complex and dangerous action manoeuvres through sheer skill alone. The film was exhibited at the Mumbai International Film Festival 1998 For Documentary, Short & Animation Films.

DANCING WITH THE GURUS

The film follows the last true exponents of Kuttiyattam, Guru Ammanur Madhav Chakkyar and Kathakali, Guru Ramankutty Nair, to understand their exquisite but complex art form and the future for their 2000 year legacy of dance drama.

LADAKHI AND A COMMANDANT

In Ladakh, a Buddhist Commandant of a Battalion in the Indo-Tibet Border Police, Sonam Paljor scaled Mt. Everest without oxygen and was awarded the Padmashree. A proud Indian, whose endeavor is "to put the flag of India higher and higher than Everest".

TIRUPATI – A KARMIC DEBT

This temple receives an annual income of approximately Rs 419 crores through daily offerings, making it the richest Hindu temple in the world. The film captures the atmosphere of the temple, and the belief of thousands of devotees in Lord Venkateshwara, the God who symbolises the materialistic world of Kalyug or the modern age of mankind.

MAJULI- FLOODS IN HEAVEN

In Majuli, Assam (the largest river island in the world) 160 Satras or gurukuls (Monastic schools) were established in the 15th century imparting education in music, dance, art, culture and scriptures. Following a vedic way of life, these monasteries are the last living institutions of ancient India.

DHARMA DOLLIES

Dharma Dollies explores stress and anxiety amongst the new generation which drives them to all kinds of quick fix aids like Feng Shui, meditation and healing: a new line of business activity, which has sprouted dozens of spiritual gurus all over India.

LITTLE TEACHERS OF THONDAMUTHUR

An intimate portrait of two girls between the ages of 10 and 12 years, who are amongst the 1500 little teachers holding night classes for their illiterate parents and school drop-outs. This film is seen through the eyes of a journalist who strikes a relationship with the two girls Somasundari, a milkman's daughter and Pushpalata, an areca-nut labourer's daughter.

THE TRIBES OF THE ANDAMAN & NICOBAR ISLANDS - 1

Aruna Har Prasad travels to the inaccessible locations in the Andamans archipelago, to document the last of the world's living aborigines. It portrays the life and time of six tribes, which number less than a thousand and await extinction. Shot on location and 40 days on sea. It was nominated for the 1995 Mumbai International Film Festival.

THE TRIBES OF THE ANDAMAN & NICOBAR ISLANDS - 2

Aruna Har Prasad travels to the inaccessible locations in the Andamans archipelago, to document the last of the world's living aborigines. It portrays the life and time of six tribes, which number less than a thousand and await extinction. Shot on location and 40 days on sea. It was nominated for the 1995 Mumbai International Film Festival.