Filmmaker Jigar Nagda, an erstwhile assistant of filmmakers Anurag Kashyap, Onir and Manish Gupta, branched out on his own to make the docu-short Aravali: The Lost Mountains under his Udaipur Pictures. The film was screened at over 50 international film festivals. Continuing his rich form in the festival circuit, his recent film Batti: A Boy Who Dreamt of Electricity won the Best Film award at the Jaipur International Film Festival 2024 and premiered at places such as the Indian Film Festival Stuttgart and Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival, USA. The film will be screened at the Habitat Film Festival 2025 in Delhi on May 22.
Batti is about Bheru, hailing from a tribal community in Rajasthan, who goes from pillar to post to get an electricity connection in his home. The film navigates his emotional journey as he confronts various obstacles stemming from social and economic backwardness. Jigar, who hails from a tribal pocket in Rajasthan, explains that many people in these communities are unaware of how they are exploited due to a lack of education. "I captured a fraction of this conundrum in Batti," he notes.
Jigar emphasises that their ignorance not only stifles their progress in terms of basic amenities like electricity but also affects social dynamics. He points out that while some exploit caste hierarchy, the broader issue of misogyny unites all castes, leading members of oppressed communities to be unaware of how their misogynistic tendencies continue to contribute to caste oppression. "The practice of reverse dowry in Rajasthan has exploded. The reason is the poor sex ratio, driven by the community's aversion to female children. As the female birth rate declines, wealthier men find it easier to marry, creating pressure on families to provide dowries. This pushes them into a debt trap of affluent and 'upper' caste individuals, ensuring the exploitation perpetuates," says Jigar, adding that electricity, which is supposed to be a basic need, is a luxury in these parts. "That is why Bheru (Kunal Mehta) feels it is more important to get a power connection than getting married. While the film's crux is about a tribal man fighting to get electricity for his home, I also wanted to highlight how their apathetic condition has a multi-pronged reason. That's why I named Rakhi Mansha's character Anchahi (unwanted child). The girls like Anchahi who escape the guillotine of infanticide, will bear such a name and live with the trauma of not belonging," he comments.
Batti, especially when Bheru gets turned down every time he approaches the officials, might remind audiences of Nawazuddin Siddique's Manjhi – The Mountain Man, where the lead knocks on every door to make a road for his village. Not all government schemes reach the last person in the social ladder, and in most cases, this last person will either be a Dalit or an Adivasi. Jigar affirms, "In both the cases (Batti and Manjhi), the grieving party belongs to the downtrodden community. The reason is the last mile connectivity of schemes is the responsibility of a Sarpanch and the Panchayat authorities. Belonging to a dominant caste enables a person to wield power and it is that power that makes someone a village head. Their inherent caste bias gets them worked up with the prospect of treating the Dalit/tribal people on par with those in their community. Also, corruption plays a huge role. Sarpanchs like the one I show in Batti will put up a facade of being do-gooders and lend money to the tribal people only to get the lion's share of their crops as interest, but will shut the door if approached for amenities. This way, even the land-owning tribal person will be at a disadvantaged position. When people can discriminate against people based on their caste just for the sake of 'superiority,' will they not do it if they can make themselves richer? The oppressed are falling prey to exploitation or accepting their status quo as 'normal' due to their ignorance."
Bheru is the 'black sheep' who wants to break free of this inhumane system, coupled with the generational trauma, and as a result, faces stiff resistance from several corners. Incidentally, his father Nathu (Mahendra Shrivas) is the first hurdle. "Being denied basic rights is Hobson's choice for Nathu, but he chides his son, asking, 'Haven't our women lived in houses without power?' This is, of course, to dodge the guilt of his inability to obtain electricity, resulting in a close one's death. Beneath his rude opposition to his son's 'rebelliousness,' he feels helpless, and even tells Bheru that if he was as active as his son, he might have done a lot more in his youth," says Jigar, who points out the differences in the father figures in the film, including the Sarpanch.
"Despite having two chairs, the Sarpanch won't let Nathu sit. He will never offer tea in the same cup. But Nathu fondly calls him daddy because of his polite tone. He is manipulative that way. He looks for ways to continue the dubious legacy of bonded slavery of his ancestors. He gets unsettled only when it comes to serving justice and rights to the tribals. He can even look for a bride for Behru who is okay with staying in a home without a power supply, but will take no steps to address the grievance. I have seen such smooth-tongued people putting off attempts to treat the tribals on par with the others, and they do it so politely," points out Jigar.
India's northern states are often criticised for their relative insensitivity towards caste discrimination in comparison to the southern states. Such a case is made, usually pointing to the differences in the way films are made on either side. In a shocking antithesis, several politically correct directors and films in Tamil Nadu have light-skinned persons wearing make-up to 'look' like a Dalit. Jigar's Batti stands out in that respect. "While auditioning, I just looked for talent. I believed Kunal could make the cut and pass for Bheru without dark make-up. My team advised me to make Kunal look more 'convincing', but I took a stand that I would film Kunal as he is. Skin tone differs with genetics and climate of the geographical location, not by caste. The tribals and Dalits are already facing a lot of stigma for several reasons and are bogged down by bad stereotyping. They are made to lift a lot of excessive burdens humanly impossible to carry. I don't want colour and skin tone to be one of those," Jigar signs off.