This docu follows a black Ganesha idol and ends up unravelling an unseen Hyderabad

Ganesh Chathurthi may be long gone, but Dhoolpet Ganesha, a documentary by Hyderabadi filmmaker Anantha Perumal, continues to make people sit up and take notice of the celebrations that define the spirit of Hyderabad. After a couple of screenings in the city, the film travelled to Goa, where it was screened at National Film Development Corporation, before going to Bangalore where it will be screened at Google office. After that, it will head to the Warhorse learning festival in Chennai. “I was very nervous about screening the film for a non-Telugu audience initially, because it is actually just a slice of life from the streets of Hyderabad. But I soon discovered that the narrative can appeal to people even if it is not in the language they speak. It was heartening when the audience stayed back and participated in discussions to know more about the Telugu culture and my journey with the film,” says Anantha, who grew up near BHEL.

The documentary takes you through nine-days of the festival, giving you a ringside view of all that transpires around a black Ganesha idol, without any romanticism, glamourising, glossing over the not-so-nice bits. “A festival is not about festivities alone. And that’s what my film shows. It takes you to a non-descript basti tucked away in the grimy by lanes of Shamshabad and gives you a no-holds-barred look at the lives of the people living there. Your hear them discussing who gave how much chanda; cribbing about lack of bhajans at pandals; wondering about the strangeness of the black-coloured god... It is fascinating to see how the politics of skin colour, gender, caste and religion play out unhindered even in front of the God,” explains Anantha.

Interestingly, the documentary is a result of the filmmaker accidentally stumbling upon the black Ganesha idol which caught his eye. “The unusual colour of the idol attracted me and I decided to follow the idol. That’s how I ended up in Dhoolpet, which is where the pandal was set up. And then, the stories of the community which set up the pandal began to unfold. To be very honest, I was engrossed and engaged, but I wasn’t trying to drive the conversations towards any particular issue. They were just flowing naturally, honestly. They were stating things as a matter of fact, and that’s exactly what I have managed to capture in the film.”

Anantha believes that Dhoolpet Ganesha, captures the identity of Hyderabad like no other. “Our entry point was not Ganesha, but the city. There are films that talk about Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata and we felt the essence of Hyderabad as a city wasn’t exactly coming to the fore in the mainstream movies. There has been hardly any visual imagery about Hyderabad, even as the world is experiencing a digital makeover. And I thought nothing showcases the spirit of our city like Ganesh

Chaturthi

celebrations which is one of our biggest community festivals.”

After spending nine days with the black Ganesha, Anantha came back with a better understanding of the city he calls home. “It was a unique experience for me because this place is just some 45 km from where I live. And yet, their lives were so different. These are vegetable sellers, mechanics, everyday workforce around us who we don’t give a thought to. It was interesting to know their aspirations, beliefs and dreams. That was the biggest take away.”