Saturday, March 1, 2014

2014: Inland Kokan :Gudghe along Dabhol Creek


A trip to the coastal hinterland near Dapoli , District Ratnagiri, in the Kokan region. Specifically the village Gudghe.  There is development due to easy access to the bigger cities, ancestral lands still being farmed, and a traditional economy based on mangoes, betel nut(supari) and coconut crops...


                        The lush supari, mango and coconut plantations.

Supari (Betel Nut) kept out for drying.  Notice the built in structures as part of the residential set up. Use of local wood.
                                    A closer look at the Supari  harvest.
                                              Zooming In  to the Supari


                                      A typical house,  augmented across time .
                                A traditional residence by the main road .....


   A closer look. Fronds dried and used to make baskets, brooms etc . Local industry.


                Well worn steps amidst the woods, leading to the village deity.


      Despite the plastic chair on the left, traditional local stone is cooler for these two.


                  Sometimes a harvest, sometimes as fuel.  A  typical field scene ..


                  Waters of the Dabhol Creek ,  close to Gudghe.

                  Another view  of inhabitation along the Dabhol Creek
                                                            A closer look

                     Strangely, this is a place where animal sacrifices were done.


                                                An old well

                         The various stages of growing up of a jackfruit ....



The traditional coconut  cracking machine, used in houses across the ages.  Locally made.


                                      The built in Chulah facility.  Anywhere...

                                                The typical  flora

                                           The matriarch Banyan tree (notice the guy)

                               Some more  natural beauties of the region

                A typical old house, incrementally augmented/split  over generations.

Friday, January 3, 2014

2013-14 : Kuder Pada Cinematography/Stills


Late 2013, and early 2014, I participated as the sole cinematographer in the making of the short film , "Paudha : the plant" .

It was filmed totally on location in Kuder Pada (on the outskirts of Badlapur, 68 kms from Mumbai) , and  partly in Badlapur itself.

I shot the entire film on my Canon 1100D DSLR, and completely edited the film myself.  This film was shown in the Short Film Showcase program of SAAM TV Marathi, on 26 November 2014, during the morning and evening session.

Presented below are photographs of the actual Kuder Pada location.

The Video of the film Paudha: the plant, appears at the end.


                                         An abandoned kitchen store room


                                 A typical  yard : children will be children



                                          The Mother leads; they follow .   


                   The needs of firewood  and stocking it all up.


                  
                        A random collage of the unavoidable and the new


                                                 And the land provides


                                                          The tilling fields


                     Lodging, Boarding, Working , Recreation ; all in one

                     Busy times at the Pada: harvesting,storing, safeguarding