Popular culture and big-banner Bollywood films are still fixated on weaving the narrative around the big fat weddings and fairy-tale romances, often neglecting the stories of the underrepresented communities. As a result, mainstream Indian cinema fails miserably in depicting the realities of those who exist on the borderline of society. But the stories exist — and the reality of these places is beyond imagination, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Recognising this gap, the Nomad Film Festival has created a platform for stories the mainstream media ignores. The festival is screening films on March 15 and 16 at the Arthsila, Delhi giving space for indigenous voices and artistic expression. Through screenings, workshops, and conversations with filmmakers and community members, it is opening up dialogue and reflection on pressing social and cultural issues.
The festival's name itself reflects its commitment to showcasing the stories of marginalised communities and denotified Tribes, as very few people in India are making films about these communities that are very isolated from the mainland.
Dakxin Chhara who is associated with the festival said, “The main objective of organising this film festival is to train the community people not just to make the film but how to present the film and how to face the audience. This festival is the result of two years of hard work. This festival is the space for the marginalised community to present their film and their stories.”
One such film shown was “Bahurupi”, directed by the Buddha Theatre. This short film captured the lives of the Bahurupi community who are performers and make a living by entertaining people and making them laugh. Once esteemed as spies and entertainers under royal patronages are now being called imposters.
The COVID-19 pandemic deepened their struggle, leaving them without an audience and livelihood. As the performances came to a halt due to COVID lockdowns, the women of the community had to beg for food and money to feed their families. The police were not of much help and the governments were unable to reach them.
Dakxin further added, “The mainstream media complains about the shortage of stories. But for me in India, we have 140 crore stories. Every man walking on the street has a story but we lack that perspective. These stories are good content and the original entertainers (Bhurupi) should occupy the space in the mainstream media”.
During the pandemic, media platforms did not cover the stories of marginalised communities like the Bahurupi during the pandemic and their everyday hardship. In response, the Buddha Theatre took it upon themselves and gave life to several such unheard stories, which were screened in the Nomad Film Festivals.
However, such stories often struggle to reach the common masses, getting lost in the YouTube algorithm. Films that narrate the hardship of Indigenous communities do not reach their audience. To bridge this gap, the festival showcases films that are made by first-time filmmakers from such communities, especially those using community-led methodologies, alongside works by more established filmmakers. The festival addresses the invisibility of, and the harmful stereotypes about these groups in mainstream films, which reinforce the stigma of criminalisation.
Beyond storytelling, the festival fights against the harmful stereotypes and stigmas surrounding these communities, particularly the unjust criminalisation of denotified tribes. By giving these voices a platform, the Nomad Film Festival is not just screening films— it is changing narratives, giving voices to the unheard, and giving recognition to stories and cultures that mainstream media often erases.
