In Mahua Memoirs, a 82 min documentary by Vinod Raja a Graduated from the FTII, Pune in cinematography, documented a social issue. The documentary attracted good response in 10th Mumbai International Film Festival (MIFF-2008) at Mumbai.

The film is about; Saloo, the bard and Thirku Baiga take us on a journey through the lives of many tribal communities who live in the mountain tracts and forests of the Eastern Ghats across the states of Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, Chattisgarh and Jharkhand in India. As in most indigenous homelands the world over, these regions too are rich in natural resources including minerals, resources that have become the source of their greatest insecurities. The tribes are being oppressed in almost every part of the country. They are ill treated in spite of the fact of living in greatest democracy in the world. The film also discussed impact of new projects coming up on tribe’s Land and exploitation of tribes in many ways.

Report by Rajendra Joshi