Jowar Gatha Film Screening and Discussion

● Online | 16 May 2024 | 5:30–7:00

While the discourse on millets has largely revolved around their benefits as a whole, what does it mean to explore a single variety like jowar (sorghum) and examine its impact on the communities that cultivate it?
Our virtual discussions ‘Beyond the Plate’ explore how food is more than just the act of eating.

Our Beyond the Plate event for May 2024 featured a screening of Jowar Gatha,—a documentary directed by Laxminarayan Devda, which looks at the many facets of cultivation, culture, and community that often tie into one another—followed by a discussion. 

 

The film was produced by Samaj Pragati Sahyog (SPS), a grassroots initiative for water and livelihood security in Madhya Pradesh, which recognises storytelling as a vital means for conveying knowledge. It has been showcased at several prestigious film festivals, including the Pune International Film Festival and the Mumbai International Film Festival.

Meet Our Panellists

Pinky Brahma Choudhury, Co-founder and Director, SPS Community Media

Read more about Pinky’s filmmaking background here and access other films made by her here.

"We give a lot of importance to the local language, ensuring that the protagonist can express better in their own language."

Pinky Brahma Choudhury elaborated on the importance of using the Nimadi language in the film. She highlighted the commitment to linguistic authenticity, which meant that the film resonated deeply with both the subjects and the audiences. Pinky discussed the film’s palpable impact among local communities, where screenings often became interactive sessions with villagers sharing songs, stories, and experiences related to jowar.

Shobhit Jain, Co-founder and Director, SPS Community Media

You can read more about SPS Community Media’s work here, as well as some of Shobhit’s other films here.

 

"It's not just filming people; it's about developing a kind of deep friendship."

On the success of Jowar Gatha, Shobhit Jain emphasised the trust and rapport built with the local farming communities over many decades. He also delved into the complexities of reviving jowar-farming, a concern the film brings to light. Shobhit pointed to market pressures that have led to a decline in jowar cultivation, with farmers shifting to cultivating crops like wheat owing to better market rates. Despite the cultural and nutritional significance of jowar, the market remains a significant barrier to its resurgence. Along with Pinky Brahma Choudhury, he explained how the MSP (Minimum Support Price) for jowar, while theoretically supportive, has largely been ineffective on the ground, limiting its commercial viability.

Laxminarayan Devda, Director of Jowar Gatha

‘Even now, when I close my eyes, I feel like I can see the soul of jowar’

 

‘अभी भी, मैं आँखें बंद करता हूँ तो मुझे लगता है कि मैं ज्वार की आत्मा को देख रहा हूँ।’

‘Even now, when I close my eyes, I feel like I can see the soul of jowar.’

Laxminarayan Devda is a farmer and filmmaker from the village of Pandutalab in Madhya Pradesh’s Dewas district. We spoke to him about his experience of working on Jowar Gatha—read it in English, here, and in Hindi, here. 

Discussion

• The economic pressures driving the shift from jowar cultivation to wheat, highlighting the factors contributing to this decline.

• The ongoing challenges faced in encouraging a return to jowar cultivation, including policies and programmes that have not always proved helpful.

• The sense of community fostered through conversations about local food histories and the role that grains like jowar play in shaping people’s lives.

Learnings

• The blend of storytelling and community engagement through Jowar Gatha captures the essence of jowar cultivation and its challenges. 

• The market, allied with policy measures that prioritise rice and wheat, has increased availability and demand for these staple crops. The high price point of millets and a lack of demand are significant barriers towards returning to jowar cultivation. 

•The filmmaker’s dedication towards participatory storytelling allows us to witness how these narratives are intrinsically linked to the preservation of traditional agricultural practices. 

This session was a collaboration between The Locavore and Rainmatter Foundation for the Millet Revival Project.

Beyond the Plate is an initiative by The Locavore where we engage in meaningful conversations, live events, and dining experiences that look at food beyond the sum of its parts. It is our attempt to narrow the divide between what’s on our plate, where it comes from, how it’s produced, and the deeper stories around it.