TITLE OF THE FILM | Fight Shall Continue (Ladai Chhodab Nahin) |
DIRECTED BY | Astha |
LANGUAGE | Hindi, Santhali, Nagpuri (English subtitles) |
YEAR | 2024 |
COUNTRY | India |
DURATION | 30 minutes |
SPECIAL NOTE | Kolkata Premiere |
PRINCIPAL CREW & CAST
WRITING | Astha |
CINEMATOGRAPHY | Shubham Burute |
EDITING | Pawan Kamble |
LOCATION SOUND | Pranay Kotangle |
SOUND DESIGN, SOUND MIXING, MUSIC | Ajit Bhasin |
PRINCIPAL CAST | Sitamani Devi, Basanti Sardar, Bigan Kujur |
ABOUT THE FILM
With the expansion of mining activities in Jharkhand, indigenous populations are at massive risk of displacement and loss of livelihood. Tribal women have been on the receiving end of economic and political marginalisation and invisiblised patriarchy. The film witnesses tribal women’s bodies as testimonies of their labour. Their bodies narrate history, anecdotes, and advice for the future. Their identities hold powerful stories, absent in the mainstream media.
ABOUT THE DIRECTOR
Astha, a first-generation graduate, chose filmmaking as her medium to amplify marginalised voices. Now based in Jharkhand, she works in the development sector, striving to make women’s labour and struggles visible. ‘Ladai Chhodab Nahin’ is her directorial debut.
DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT
“‘Ladai Chhodab Nahin’ began as a documentation of rage and labour of middle-aged marginalised women from Jharkhand. The idea of rage came from my personal experience of sexism in a toxic workplace. While shooting, we came across three women whose rage has been overlooked and internalised over time. The scars of labour have been documented on their bodies.”