‘Wanted to show Dalit assertion’: Documentarian Somnath Waghmare on Chaityabhumi

The depiction of Dalits as hapless victims in the mainstream media, wherein they are often associated with activities like manual scavenging merely to evoke sympathy, compelled him to make Chaityabhumi , says documentary filmmaker Somnath Waghmare. Somnath is a Dalit Buddhist from Maharashtra who has been documenting the Ambedkarite movement through his lens.

“Whenever non-Dalits make a documentary around Dalits, it ends up being problematic. Their whole idea of Dalit lives is limited to atrocities or manual scavenging. They always overlook their assertion and their fight for equality,” Somnath says in an interview with The News Minute. The Mumbai-based filmmaker has previously made documentaries such as The Battle of Bhima Koregaon and There is no caste discrimination in IITs? His latest film, Chaityabhumi, is presented by filmmaker Pa Ranjith.

Chaityabhumi was recently screened at the Media and Communication department London School of Economics. “The reception in London was very good. This is probably the first time that someone from within the community is screening a film on Dalits on a global platform,” he says.

The hour-long documentary explores the significance of Chaithyabhumi, the site where the last rites of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar were performed on December 6, 1956.

The site holds significance for a large population of Dalit-Bahujan communities who throng to Mumbai from various parts of the country every year around this date to pay tributes to their beloved leader. A venue with a rich history, Chaithyabhumi gives hope of equality, fraternity and social justice to historically oppressed groups, Somnath says.

In Chaityabhumi, Somnath captures the events that take place at the site over six days during December 1-6, which talk about the politics of the space and how people commemorate the week. He says the idea for the documentary came to him in 2019, and he shot at the busy location for six days amidst several practical challenges.

“There are very few stories from the ‘insider’ perspective. There are people who have made documentaries on Dalit lives or Ambedkarites, but they are not Dalits. Chaityabhumi is a contribution from my end towards the Ambedkarite cause. I wanted to show the world that we also assert ourselves,” Somnath explains.

Somnath’s previous works also feature anti-caste themes. While I am not a witch (2015) and depicts how Adivasi women in Maharashtra’s Nandurbar are targeted with accusations of witchcraft, The Battle of Bhima Koregaon (2017) is about Dalit soldiers from the Mahar community who fought alongside the British and defeated the ‘Brahminical’ rule of the Peshwas.

Chaithyabhumi is produced by director Pa Ranjith’s Neelam Productions. Pa Ranjith has made films like Kaala, Kabali and Sarpatta Parambarai to name a few, which also talk about anti-caste, Ambedkarite themes. Working with an established production house like Neelam ensured that he had all the resources to complete the project, Somnath says.

The filmmaker, who has been actively part of the Ambedkarite movement, says he had an interest in films since his post graduation days at Pune University, where he completed a course in Media and Communication Studies. His next documentary, Gail and Bharat, is about prominent Ambedkarite scholar Gail Omvedt, and her husband, activist Bharat Patankar. The project is currently under post-production. Simultaneously, Somnath is pursuing his PhD in Social Sciences from Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai.

Courtesy: The news minute

Courtesy: This news piece was originally published on thenewsminute.com purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes exclusively for Human Right.