A four-day retrospective revisits the documentaries that reshaped India’s political imagination
File pic
What does it mean to make films that audiences can’t afford to ignore? For over five decades, Anand Patwardhan has answered that question with a body of work that is part archive, part rebellion, and entirely uncompromising. From the streets of Mumbai to the fault lines of caste, religion, and democracy itself, his camera has documented India’s most urgent struggles.
Now, G5A Warehouse turns into a house of resistance with Cinema House: A Retrospective, a four-day celebration of Patwardhan’s legacy. Here’s a glimpse into what’s playing:
Bombay: Our City (1985)
This documentary is Patwardhan’s piercing look at the 40 lakh slum dwellers who build and serve the city, yet are denied its most basic utilities. The film feels as urgent today as it did 40 years ago. The screening will be followed by a conversation with Patwardhan and Anuradha Parikh.
WHEN: Oct 2, 7 PM onwards
Filmmaker Anand Patwardhan at his residence. Pic/File
We Are Not Your Monkeys (1996)
A searing music video reimagining the Ramayana to critique caste and gender hierarchies. Sung and composed by Sambhaji Bhagat, Daya Pawar, and Patwardhan himself, it remains a radical act of cultural dissent.
WHEN: Oct 3, 7 PM onwards
Father, Son and Holy War (1995)
A searing exploration of masculinity, religion, and violence in India, this two-part film traces the rise of aggressive nationalism and its intersections with gender. Patwardhan probes how myths of male power fuel communal tensions, with chilling resonance even today.
WHEN: Oct 4, 10:30 AM onwards
Jai Bhim Comrade (2012)
Patwardhan’s three-hour epic on caste, music, and resistance remains one of his most celebrated works. Following the 1997 police firing on Dalits in Ramabai Colony, the film documents the power of protest music and voices of defiance. Stay back for an in-conversation session after the screening.
WHEN: Oct 4, 7 PM onwards
Reason/Vivek (2018)
Patwardhan’s most recent and sprawling work, Reason, investigates the rise of intolerance, hate crimes, and attacks on rationalists in contemporary India. Screening in two parts, it’s as necessary as it is urgent. A conversation will follow to dive deeper into the filmmaker’s process.
WHEN: Oct 5, 12 PM onwards
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
