Q. How were you drawn to the Jewish community?
A. It’s been over a decade that I have been interested in the Jewish communities in India. There is more than one, and each has a unique experience and history, settled across India, from Mumbai and Surat, to Kolkata, Manipur, Cochin and Andhra Pradesh. I did a fair bit of reading and research on the Bene Israeli Jews closer home, while I was here in Mumbai. Prior to that, I remember meeting a Jewish friend of a college mate (nearly 15 years ago) and it blew my mind. I had never heard of this community before or even knew of the existence of Indian Jews. In fact, as I speak about this film today, many are still unaware of the Jewish communities of India. But when you take certain names, for example, David Sassoon, it rings a bell. Sassoon’s contributions have even been towards the Gateway of India and he donated his old residence to the Parsi Trust, which we know today as Masina Hospital in Byculla.

The Paradesi Synagogue in Jew town, Mattancherry, Cochin.