Indian poll battle inspires England couple’s next film

Meet Misha Maltsev and Ruhi Hamid,who have made the city their home since they landed here. While shooting non-stop has been hectic,the couple swears witnessing the election scene in Chandigarh has been the experience of a lifetime.

The couple,who have made many documentaries in the career spanning over 20 years,landed in the city on March 27. “Where else would you get such a complete contrast between urban and rural India. Slums and colonies co-exist with the most elitist class,” says Ruhi,an Afro-Asian.

“My father lived in India before partition and went to Africa later where I spent my childhood. But I always fantasised shooting in this country,” adds Ruhi.

With no relatives here,the couple is staying in a hotel and the election scene has given them no time to visit the tourist spots. “We found that people living in slums and colonies are most excited about elections. It is so touching that people involve themselves completely to elect a government… elections are like a big festival here,” says Misha Maltsev who is one his first visit to the country.

The movie they are making is a one-hour documentary on Indian democracy. “The fact is that it’s just the poor people who vote,the middle class wants all comforts but don’t want to vote,” says Ruhi adding they have shot in slums and talked to a wide strata of voters including the youth,senior citizens and poor and rich alike.

The couple will fly back to UK on May 16,the day of counting,and will complete the editing part of the documentary there. “India is an amazing country and we are taking back rich memories,” echoed the duo.