Attend a storytelling session in Mumbai that dives into the general compartment of Indian Railways across the country

A view of a general compartment of a train, shot during the filmmaker’s extensive travels. Pics courtesy/Samarth Mahajan

As part of the Pint of View Mumbai lecture series, that curates intimate conversations and storytelling sessions bringing together voices from across art, culture, travel and contemporary life, Samarth Mahajan will present India on the Move, a storytelling session drawn from a 17-day journey across the country in the general compartments of Indian Railways. The filmmaker travelled through the westernmost, northernmost, easternmost and southernmost points of the railway network while shooting his National Award-winning documentary The Unreserved.

"The film was only one part of the experience. There were many stories that never made it into the documentary, and this lecture is a way to relive that journey," says Mahajan.

A map of the 17-day journey

Through images and videos, the anecdotal lecture will look beyond travel as movement and instead examine trains as emotional and political spaces. "People can expect to peek into how the working-class Indian moves around the country. More than the physical challenges, I'm interested in the emotional life of working-class India," he shares.

One of the most haunting memories from the journey, Mahajan recalls, was a conversation with a woman travelling with her family who felt pressured to have a third child despite health complications. "She said she had decided to go through with it, but she didn't know if she would survive the ordeal. That uncertainty stayed with me," he says.

Samarth Mahajan

The talk will also touch upon themes of caste, class, migration, gender and faith through personal stories gathered during the journey. "I want people to look at working-class passengers beyond sympathy - as dreamers, lovers, parents and individuals with rich emotional lives," Mahajan adds.

On May 24; 5 pm to 7 pm
At Woodside Inn, 3/4, Dheeraj Pali Arcade, Pali Naka, Bandra West.
Log on to urbanaut.in to register
Cost Rs 849 onwards