Tucked between palm trees and the sea, lies Bandra, one of the Coolest Neighbourhoods In The World. In fact, the only Indian neighbourhood to feature in this list in 2022.
For the last one year, two long time residents of this suburb have been searching for the answer – what makes Bandra so incredibly special.
And they kept coming back to a community called The East Indians. An indigenous people, converted by the Portuguese, who have called Bandra home for at least, gasp,
400 Years
Warm, joyous people, a mix of western sensibilities with indigenous influences. Expressive, free and forward – this lively community is one reason why Bandra is what it is today. However, this community is shrinking rapidly. And as their numbers come down, Bandra starts to change. The bungalows, neighbourhoods and the villages have started to disappear, and so has a way of life.
These people are our last chance to hold on to history. Once they went, the neighbourhood, its dances, its art, the sound of music drifting through open doors, and the smell of Sunday roast as you walked past a window would also disappear. So would the culture and the customs that made Bandra this easy-going village.
A human interest documentary, that’s an intimate peek into the lived history of the last generation of East Indians in Bandra, who have witnessed change from independence to reclamation to redevelopment. Showcases the life and culture of these seniors born in the first half of the 1900’s. It’s an intimate conversation peppered with anecdotes, history and personal stories and gradually peels the past, giving us a glimpse of human history and Bandra through the eyes of this last standing generation.
Our documentary is a series of conversations and moments, built over various impromptu meetings, birthdays, festivals, walks.
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The shoot will be done over a period of 3 months, and as one of the largest documentation project 45/50 people will be spoken to, on camera and on recorder.
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Each documentee will be recorded over this period multiple times over different days and spaces.
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The final documentary will feature 6 to 8 people from the vast pool of documentee’s.
Roland. Born to a Parsi mother and a Catholic father, Roland has spent his life in Bandra. He has wooed his wife, watched India become independent and worked for an English company as a young man. He has songs, recipes, stories, memories and a zest for life.
Hyacinth Desouza. Moved to Bandra when she got married. Now lives alone with her youngest daughter, with her stories, plants and her photographs. Macaron maker, Christmas baker and sunbather.
Clarence: Runs a free community newspaper. Takes up issues of his locality. Lives in the last of the mansions on Bazaar Road. An Activist, and writer of the coolest signboards in Bandra, a repository of the history of the community and Bandra.
HUZEFA Born in Mumbai and raised in Bandra Huzefa Roowala is an alumnus from SAE in multimedia production. He specialises in the art and craft of filmmaking. He has over 13 years of experience in visual media & communication across platforms & specialization in Digital Advertising.
SHORMISTHA has worked in advertising for 25 years, as a creative person. She’s a published author, runs a popular page called Houses Of Bandra, and in her spare time documents the visual and cultural history of Bandra and invites herself to the homes of unsuspecting people!
