The chars of the Brahmaputra are a curious geographical feature of the river - they are small, temporary land masses, almost like islands, that appear and disappear seasonally due to erosion. They are also places that many immigrant communities of Assam call home. They farm on the transient land masses and raise their families there as well.
'Waiting for a Storm' explores this ephemeral relationship between the chars and their residents through the prism of two different subjects - Amjad Ali, a farmer who lives on such a char and Sahjahan Hussain, a young activist from the mainland who is working for land rights of the char dwellers.
'Waiting for a Storm' explores this ephemeral relationship between the chars and their residents through the prism of two different subjects - Amjad Ali, a farmer who lives on such a char and Sahjahan Hussain, a young activist from the mainland who is working for land rights of the char dwellers.
Through their voices, the film navigates questions of identity and reform. And as their paths converge, Amjad and Sahjahan's future remains as uncertain as the receding landscape surrounding them.
(Full film available here)
The film was commissioned by the Early Career Film Fellowship (2013), TISS Mumbai.
ROLE: Researcher, Director, Editor
CLIENT: Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai
