Cinema House | The Eve of Elections | Chaityabhumi | Screening

Chaityabhumi is a holy site that holds immense importance for the Dalit movement in India, as it is where Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar’s last rites were performed after his passing on December 6, 1956. Dr Ambedkar, often called the father of the Indian Constitution,

dedicated his life to fighting the chains of caste oppression and bringing revolutionary change. He was a guiding light for the oppressed who dismantled discriminatory barriers and empowered them to reclaim their dignity and their rightful place in society.

This musical film will bring to light the history and cultural politics of how people commemorate December 6 at Chaityabhumi, Mumbai and what is the relevance of this public event in contemporary India. It explores how the Dalit community comes together to honour this day and the political implications it holds for their identity and empowerment.

About the filmmaker:

Somnath Waghmare is a Mumbai-based Dalit-Buddhist film researcher and documentary filmmaker. He is the co-founder of the Ambedkarite song documentation project ‘The Ambedkar Age Digital Bookmobile,’ and founder of the film company ‘Begumpura

productions.’ At present, he is pursuing his PhD in Social Sciences from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai.

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About Cinema House:

G5A presents Cinema House: an opportunity to celebrate the experience of collective film viewing. For one weekend a month, our black box theatre transforms into a single-screen theatre dedicated to independent, regional, and contemporary cinema.

Instructions: 

1. We request you to bring warm clothes as it gets chilly inside the black box as temperatures need to be controlled at optimum levels as per technical requirements.

2. Food, beverages and water are strictly prohibited inside the black box. Please do not carry them in your bags either.

3. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis.

4. No Late Entries will be allowed. Please plan to arrive at least 15 mins prior to the start time of the program.

5. When attending a program at the G5A warehouse, attendees agree to be photographed/videographed/recorded for promotional use by organizers through both print and electronic media channels.

6. Please note that the information in the schedule is subject to change in case of unforeseen events.