Synopsis

Kumbharwada, Bombay (Potters’ Colony)

© 1996 Rajul Mehta     Duration: 19 Minutes



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'Kumbharwada, Bombay (Potters' Colony)' captures the spirit of life in a potters' colony in Dharavi, Asia's largest slum, located in the heart of Bombay. These rural potters of Gujarat state came to settle in Bombay about a century ago. Despite their everyday hardships, Kumbharwada not only survives, it thrives.

Filmmaker Rajul Mehta observes Kumbharwada intimately, not as an onlooker but as a participant. This was her natural response to the warmth and hospitality so readily extended by the potters. She is intrigued by their large-heartedness just as she is by the beauty of the pots, both, in stark contrast to their living conditions. She wants to dispel the myth that slums are a place for crime and celebrate the existence of these invisible people.

Rajul draws a clearly positive picture, reflecting her own experience. True to Indian philosophy, she compares the human being with clay. She develops two lines of action simultaneously – one dealing with pottery; the other, with people. The camera restlessly follows one potter after another, one character after another, emphasising the frenetic pace of Kumbharwada. No words frame this visual experience and its richness is enhanced by authentic potters' music.

Originally made in 1988, 'Kumbharwada, Bombay' was 26 minutes in length. It was shot on recycled U-matic (3/4") PAL tapes using a single-tube camera, and edited on Sony RM-440. After a PAL to NTSC conversion, 'Kumbharwada, Bombay' was re-edited to 19 minutes in 1996.

Photo by Rajul Mehta