Village Vibe celebrates the art, culture and festivals of India’s village life. Urbanites aren’t the only ones who become social media stars, produce stunning art, enjoy food fads or follow fitness crazes. And as for festivals, there’s a totally different vibe in the villages.
Village Vibe
From Dongargaon to Toronto, Sthal brings rural realism to silver screen
Jayant Somalkar’s debut film Sthal, shot in 22 days in his home village with local non-professional actors, authentically captures the struggles of a young woman from rural Maharashtra fighting for education and independence in a patriarchal society.
I was inspired by the rural youngsters while filming Panchayat: Faisal Malik
Events like Village Square’s Chitrashaala help promote good content, feels actor Faisal Malik. He talked to us about attending the short film festival, filming Panchayat in a village, his humble roots, and what went into playing Prahlad cha.
Shaktiman – How a military truck became an off-road king in Manipur
Shaktiman, a medium-capacity truck that was used by the Indian defence forces from 1959 to 1996 enjoys a new lease of life as a multipurpose off-road truck in the hilly Ukhrul and Kamjong districts of Manipur.
Clicking rural India from a woman’s view
From widows of farmers in Maharashtra who had died by suicide to women drug users in Punjab and the gendered impact of water crisis in Uttarakhand, photographer Deepti Asthana’s work captures rural themes from the women’s perspective.
These two women are singing Punjab’s past into present
Virpal Kaur and Pawandeep Kaur from Khosa Kotla, dedicated to preserving Punjab’s folk music, have collected and documented hundreds of traditional songs to ensure the rhythms of Punjab’s past resonate with future generations.
‘I want to help preserve Uttarakhand culture through my songs’
Girish Jeena, the man behind the viral ‘Gulabi sharara’ song from Uttarakhand, talks to us about his journey, the unexpected fame, and the personal stories behind his popular songs.
These rural spots continue to remind us of India’s freedom struggle
These were the places in rural India where blood, sweat and tears were shed for India’s freedom from colonial rule. On this Independence Day, here’s a look at the current state of those historic locations.
Tharu women revive their craft towards financial freedom
Crafting everyday items from grass was a way of life for the Tharu community of the Terai region till modernisation took its toll on their traditional craft. Now the Tharu women are reviving their craft, earning money in the process.
‘Regional is the new mainstream cinema’
National Award-winning director Manish Saini, whose film Giddh (The Scavenger) was screened at the Chitrashaala Short Film Festival, reflects on the art of short filmmaking, Gujarati cinema's revival, and the challenges facing regional storytellers in the OTT era.