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Kumbharwada, Bombay (Potters’ Colony)

© 1996 Rajul Mehta     Duration: 19 Minutes



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“In Rajul Mehta's video ‘Kumbharwada, Bombay', viewers are immersed in the sights and sounds of a colony of potters. No narration frames the experience; by looking and listening, viewers learn to let the people themselves show their way of life.”
        – Barry Schawosky, The New York Times

“A beautifully expressionistic tape about a thriving potters' colony in an extremely impoverished area of Bombay.”
        – AFI LA International Film & Video Festival, Los Angeles

“Kumbharwada, Bombay is a beguiling work about rural potters of Gujarat who settled in Bombay a century ago. Life is harmonious, though spartan, as seen in this sensitive portrait which employs authentic potter's music and no commentary.”
        – Black Maria Film & Video Festival, New Jersey

“This visually sumptuous documentary celebrates the beauty of the difficult life and work of the inhabitants of Kumbharwada, a colony of potters found in ‘Dharavi', the largest slum in Asia located in the heart of Bombay. Mehta's intimacy with these often shunned and invisible people allows the richness of their lives to be revealed in a sequence of telling gestures and vignettes. The tape is a masterpiece of camerawork and editing. ...Mehta shows how the rhythms of making pottery is woven into their daily life, religion and music to give us a rarely seen view of Indian life.”
        – New Arts Program Video Festival, Pennsylvania

“The film portrays the community with humanity, compassion and beauty.”
        – Windy City International Documentary Festival, Illinois

“A ‘slice of life' documentary on a potters' colony in Bombay....totally fascinating and absolutely crammed with human interest. The potting sequences were superb, particularly with the intercut close-ups of the potters and children, and combined with music it had a great natural dynamism. Overall a very accomplished film showing real life in Bombay...”
        – Guernsey Lily International Film & Video Festival, Channel Islands

“This sensitive portrait captures the spirit of life in a potters' colony in Dharavi, Bombay – Asia's largest slum. It offers a unique glimpse into a world usually portrayed as a place of crime and decay.”
        – “Through the Lens” series, WYBE TV-35, Philadelphia

“...a festival favorite...”
        – Independent Film & Video Magazine, Association of Independent and Filmmakers, New York

Photo by Rajul Mehta