BHANGAAR - OBSOLETE
About the event
In a century-old chawl* we meet Ira and Narayan who have lived together in a 12ft x 12ft partitioned room for 53 years. Without affluence or influence, these unconventional octogenarians petition the highest authorities in the country for the right to die together. Confronted with obstacles like its illegality and its taboo in Hindu culture, they actively engage the media to have their voice heard. Attention brings the watchful eye of the police to their door. Within their walls, feeling sentenced to live beyond their wishes, indeterminable waiting for official response,causes time to hang heavy. Outside their front door, we are transported from their island of isolation, to the frenetic rhythms of chawl life where seasons, festivals, events, rush by. The couple’s ageing bodies and minds, juxtaposed with the relentless march of progress of city and its dwellers, tell parallel stories of transience. Within this narrative, a neighbourhood sculptor, crafting Ganesha idols, symbolises the eternal cycle of birth, life and death. Through this ethnic microcosm, universal themes of love, loss, freedom, ageing, are uncovered.
An unforeseen crisis brings the couple to a crossroad.
The Screening will be followed by a QnA session with the Director, Sumira Roy.
*Chawl is an iconic Mumbai structure-a long tenement building with multiple small rooms providing affordable accommodation to migrants seeking a better livelihood in Mumbai. Once a cultural hub, chawls are being demolished for redevelopment. With the chawl way of life slowly dying, the couple feel alienated by Mumbai’s rapid modernisation. Update - The couple’s chawl was demolished in early 2025.
