Title of the film What Has Happened to This City?
Originally Titled Kya Hua Is Shahar Ko?
Directed by Deepa Dhanraj
Language Telugu, Dakhani, Hindi (English subtitles)
Country India
Year 1986
Duration 90 mins
PRINCIPAL CREW
CO-DIRECTION, CINEMATOGRAPHY & MUSIC Navroze Contractor
CO-DIRECTION, WRITING & COMMENTARY Keshav Rao Jadhav
EDITING Maniam
SOUND Q. V. Somashekhar
About the Film
The communal violence between Hindus and Muslims in Hyderabad during 1984 forms the backdrop for this film. The filmmakers set out to document the Ganesh Chathurthi processions that were taken out by local BJP units. The particular procession that they were following set off riots that lasted for twenty-two days. The film therefore uses this event to identify the ways in which fascist organisations work to foster conflict in the city, building on conditions of economic precarity. The film is prescient, and remains relevant, for its exploration the role of urban poverty and marginalisation, and the nature of political power, in the creation of communalist politics in a contemporary Indian city.
About the Director
Deepa Dhanraj is a prominent filmmaker and activist from Bengaluru, known for her work on women's rights and social justice. She has been involved in the women's movement for over three decades and has made several documentaries on various issues. Some of her works include: “Kya Hua Is Shehar Ko” (1986), “Something like a War” (1991), “The Legacy of Malthus” (1994), “The Advocate” (2007), “Enough of this Silence” (2008) and “Invoking Justice” (2011). “We Have Not Come Here To Die” (2018) is her most recent work. Her films have been recognized and celebrated globally.
