A 20-member crew from Bengaluru has visited over 300 villages across Karnataka, Maharashtra and Goa over 12 days for a 35-minute documentary on Kalasa-Banduri, titled Maha Marana.
The project, now in its post-production stage, is being made under Pooja Gandhi Productions and is directed by Chandrachud Chakravarthy.
While in these droought-hit regions for the shoot, the team had some shocking revelations that have made it into the documentary.
“In places like Rottiganavada and Yaraguppi, the villagers told us they are provided three pots of water
once in three or four days only if they show the ration card given to them,” he says.
In Shiraguppu, another village, he and his crew were shocked to find worms in the drinking water. “And we had no choice but to drink that water,” the director says.
They were also surprised to find that people in the region are taking part in the protests without really understanding the issue, he says.
And the team hopes to create awareness, not merely in the region or the state, but nationally. “That’s why we are making the documentary in both Kannada and English,” he says.
Further, the team wanted to focus on the farmers’ struggle in these regions, and so avoided filming politicians. “After speaking to so many people, all we gathered is that politicians have misused the issue, and we will expose this.”
He and his crew members heard that a memorandum written in blood was submitted to Basavaraj Bommai, the then district-in charge minister, in 2009. There were promises galore, but no progress has been made.
Water from Malaprabha is released once a year, Chandrachud says. “Police are deployed to ensure there is no water theft. We heard farmers pump out water, preventing it from flowing to other villages,” he says.
The documentary also delves deeper into the Kalasa-Banduri Nala project and the cause of the struggle and the shortage of water.
He senses a revolution in the making as the farmers are tired of political gimmicks and false promises.
“One prominent personality recently said a 42-foot wall keeping the water in check at Kanakumbi should be broken, and all the problems will be solved. The farmers feel that this cannot be done, and that he’s making false promises.”
Chandrachud says he and his team will make it their mission to ensure farmers in the region get water.