12 castes of gypsy artists ended their nomadic tradition nearly 50 years ago and started squatting on a plot of land in New Delhi.

The capital promised economic and artistic opportunity; and slowly but surely the community developed from a sprawl of tents to a vibrant neighborhood of artists and non-artist families from all over India.

Nearly every region and religion is represented in Kathputli Colony, as many residents say; “it is little India”; a true microcosm.

I arrived in the colony in July of 2009 to research and film the artists and their craft.
I came at a critical time; the slum was approaching the end of an era with an uncertain future ahead.

The government was preparing to dismantle the slum under a rehabilitation plan and when construction is completed only residents granted priority would have the right to return.

My focus was not on the topic of slum development. But, I did want the audience to view the film with the knowledge that this unique community (one of the largest artist colonies in the world) would soon be demolished and that construction and rehabilitation would birth a new Kathputli Colony but that the colony captured in this film would be forever gone.

My first day in Kathputli Colony was one of the most remarkable days of my life.

In Hinduism, they say, “your guest is your God,” and in truth, the hospitality I received can only be described as feeling like a deity in human form.

Upon arriving in rickshaw, I was greeted by a throng of residents, two of whom became my trusty filmic assistants and extraordinary hosts, Birju and Sameer Bhatt.

I was then whisked through the colony’s busy little streets; streets of technicolor and sensory overload; from house to house as I watched performance after performance from an array of artists, some of whom are showcased in these 32 minutes.

My ultimate goal with the camera was to translate the experience of being thrust into this magical and complex community where art is not a vehicle or a footnote but a living breathing way of engaging with life on a daily basis.

I am truly in awe of the people of Kathpulti Colony and I thank them from the depths of my heart for inviting me into their homes and their lives. I will forever treasure their spirit, friendship and inherent talent. I would also like to sincerely thank (Kalakar Trust) for making it all possible!

(Kalakar Trust) is a fantastic nonprofit started by Sterre Sharma that has worked in the community since 1992.

The Kalakar Trust is;

“working towards the improvement of the lives of poor artists in Delhi’s slum. The Kalakar Trust has grown to benefit more than 2,600 families of mostly puppeteers, dancers, musicians, acrobats, and magicians. The aim of the Trust in India is to keep the traditional arts of artist communities alive by providing them with services to meet the basic needs they have identified. The most important needs of these communities centre on education and health services, income generation projects, drinking water, community management and related activities. The artists themselves play an important role in the planning, monitoring and adjustment of all project activities. Another important goal of the Trust is to work with the artists to raise their social status, which is quite low. Many of the artists are considered to be little more than beggars.”

The Filmmaking

- Shot on a PD170 during two months of fieldwork in Kathputli Colony, New Delhi.

- Edited in 14 days on Avid.

The narrative, filming and editing were based on(though not restricted to) the principles of Obversational Cinema.

As stated by the Granada Centre,

“The aim of observational documentarists should primarily be to evoke the world of the subjects and the subjects understanding of that world rather then demonstrate what a great film-maker he or she is, and/or manipulate the representation of that world with such a heavy aesthetic that it becomes a great work of art, but no longer carries a sense of the original real experience.”

So in a nutshell, I arrived in the community with a set of questions based on personal interest and research I had conducted; I then observed with my camera and constructed the narrative in the edit suite.

- I collected over forty hours of footage whilst on fieldwork and some of the best bits didn’t make it into the final cut. As a result, this page will feature filmic footnotes on topics touched upon in the film, ranging from women and religion to slum rehabilitation and outtake performances. One of my goals is for the artists to use the site as a cultural archive as well as a means to promote themselves professionally.

- I am currently working on an exhibition to be first showcased in London that will include live performances by artists from Kathputli Colony as well as films and images captured by myself and other individuals who have worked with, or who live in, the community. One of the objectives is to promote the artists and thus keep the traditional arts of India alive and kicking. If you are interested in getting involved with the project or would like to be kept up to date on its development, please drop me a line. If you know of further opportunities for the artists in India or abroad, please email me or Kalakar Trust.

Research and filming was also carried out in Nagaur,Rajasthan and Mumbai, Maharastra.

Suggested Reading (a good starting point):

1) Rajasthan: an oral history. Conversations with Komal Kathari. By: Rustom Bharucha.

2) Visual Anthropology: cscsarchive.org/dataarchive/textfiles/textfile.2008-02-13.4228621179/file