Methodology: Case Studies, Interviews, audio-recording of ballads
Language: Marathi
Catalysts: Ajit Abhimeshi
Youth Fellows:
Sachin Kulaye
Ajay Shinde
Neelima Zanjad
Parag Kamble
Priti Banarase
Mrunalini Kamble
Pramila Govind
Rupali Mhashilkar
Prasenjit Khanderao
Sachin Masurkar
Coordinator:
Anita Patil-Deshmukh
About the Subject:
Ajit and his colleagues mostly hail from the area of city which once was the pride of this city. “Girangaon” means the village of cotton mills, that area of central Mumbai, which came into being in 1850s. The textile industry not only shaped the economic growth and trade in Mumbai, but also inspired creativity in many forms. This creativity, born out of exploitation, suppression and pathos, manifested itself in many forms, in family celebrations as well as public festivals like Ganapati Festival, Navratri Festival and Janmashtami Festival, all of which are still famous in Mumbai and have spread to other parts of India.
With the onslaught of globalization which has brought redevelopment all around, the valuable heritage, both structural as well as cultural, is changing rapidly. It is of prime importance to Ajit and his colleagues whose life has been enriched by this history that this precious heritage be archived through the lens of youth like him and his colleagues. They were keen to document the process of commercialization of the festivals as a result of globalization processes.
Challenges & Learnings:
Ajit and his group had to organize themselves very methodically to be able to take photos of various festivals which happened throughout the year and at all odd times in the day and night. That was a huge challenge which they overcame with determination and organization. Interviews of community revealed how generation gaps, gender and class had impacted the perception of the change in the people. The nexus between local leadership, marketers flush with funds and unemployed youth was hard to break through to get the real stories. But perseverance on the part of the team gave them the results which they were seeking.
Conclusion:
The commercialization of the festivals was mainly driven by markets and the nexus between the local leadership, companies who wanted to market their products and rampant unemployment, especially of the youth population.
End Product:
The team wrote twenty case studies which were based on the interviews conducted with local leaders, community people, festival participants; they prepared photo-essay and together wrote a street play based upon their impressions of the commercialization process.
