‘India's Forgotten People’

UK-born entrepreneur, former Miss India UK and filmmaker Deana Uppal releases her directorial debut in the documentary sector,  'India's Forgotten People' on Netflix (UK & Europe). From respected forgers of armour and weaponry for Hindu kings in the 16th century to nomadic blacksmiths who barely survive, the history of India's proud but forgotten Gadia Lohar community is told for the first time in Deana Uppal's documentary India's Forgotten People.The film provides a voice for a community that went from being highly respected to one of the country’s most poverty-stricken, selling handmade items from metal scraps and living on the margins of Indian society.Uppal witnessed the lifestyle of the nomadic communities whilst living in India and explores the Gadia Lohars, who rarely mix with others outside of their community. She spoke to Asian Voice about it. How did you conceive the idea of ‘India's Forgotten People’? When I was living in India, I would visit areas in Rajasthan regularly. Seeing different kinds of tribes and communities always intrigued me. One day I noticed a tribal community travelling on the road on a bullet cart, dressed uniquely in colourful clothes. I asked my local friends about them and I was told that they are from a Gypsie community and live nomadically. From there I researched the community more and then thought it would be an excellent subject to make a documentary around. As myself and my small team went deeper into research, we learnt that this community has a strong history which has now been overlooked and that they are almost forgotten by the government and unknown to many now - hence the title India's Forgotten People.While working on the documentary, what did you learn about the nomadic communities? What is their general perception of them and how is it different from their actual reality?Before spending time with the nomadic communities, I asked locals in the city for their advice on meeting the Gaddia Lohars. I was told by a number of people that they were dangerous and I should keep away from them as they are heavily into crime. I quickly realised that the truth was far from what I was told. The community was initially weary of me, but once trust was developed, they welcomed me and I felt completely safe. I visited the local police station, and the head of police confirmed to me that the gaddia lohars are actually one of the most peaceful communities, even when they set up a new base to camp, they make sure not to upset anyone around them in that area.How does a community’s inability to fit into modern-day society affect them? What can be done to fix that? Because India is now developing so fast, especially the cities, it is having a huge effect on the nomadic communities. It feels like they are stuck in time almost. Because they are uneducated they are even unaware of simple technologies such as the internet. The gaddia lohars especially like to have huge families, sometimes 8-10 kids per mother. I feel the government has to step up and make more of an effort to teach these communities how to integrate in normal society for the sake of their future generations. Education is key to breaking the path that they are currently living in of poverty and exclusion.What goes into making a film that shows brutal realities like the divide between the rich and the poor? Firstly a lot of research to make sure the facts will be presented honestly and correctly. Also, I learnt it needed to be filmed in a sensitive way. Showing the harsh facts of poverty has to be done in a way so it is educating the audience and educating on facts people are mostly unaware of without looking like their poverty is being used to create media attention. When I started the shooting, I never intended for the documentary to be about poverty, it was supposed to be based on showing the unique ways nomadic people live. However, as I got deeper into shooting the film I realised that poverty has such a huge impact on their lives that I had to touch on it more. I then decided to visit ministers and politicians to talk about this subject to get a deeper understanding of why this community is so severely poverty struck in India's developing state. As a filmmaker, what is your perspective on the impact of a documentary like yours? Can it bring about a much-needed change? I feel a documentary like mine can bring awareness to a wider audience about subjects they would not be aware of. Only by awareness and educating people, change can happen. Since the release of India's forgotten people, the minister of water has installed 100 plus new water pumps in remote villages. I've received messages from around the world asking how they can contribute and help the gaddia lohars, this was very touching to know the film has inspired people to help.