The story that must be told

Antardaah ,he says,tells the story of the struggle of the Pardhi community in reclaiming their right to exist in harmony with nature as well as with people around them. “They were branded as thieves during the British Raj because they were the first people who actually started rebelling against their unjust policies. Even though these bans were lifted post-independence,they were still looked down upon,” Gaikwad says.

Gaikwad reasons that this story needed to be told,as this community continues to struggle – they are refused jobs in the cities,as well as their traditional livelihoods in the jungles is threatened. “What do you do then? When you are pushed to the brink of desperation,do you turn to a life of crime? And then,you are branded a thief.”

The film has earned four nominations for best story,best film,best lyrics and best acting. Gaikwad’s other film Umang is about a youngster helping out tribals and eventually earning a bravery award for delivering them from the clutches of a evil mendicant. “The main point of making films about the countryside and the many colourful people that it is home to,is to showcase their world,their problems and tell their stories. It is not about exploiting them for commercial benefits,it’s more about getting people to know about their lives,” he says.

The awards will be announced next month. Meanwhile,Gaikwad is working on the script and screenplay of a new film titled Patharvat, which tells the story of the Vadar tribe from Maharashtra. He feels that there are many such stories waiting to be told. “Film-making,unfortunately,is an expensive medium. But it can act as a mirror to the problems of a world with which all are not familiar.”