When the dialogues of the documentary In The Name Of God, reverberated in and beyond the premises of Mhaskoba temple in Veer village, 60 kilometers from Pune, some of the youth outside amplified the volume of the Hindi numbers to stifle them. Mottled with Gulaal and brimming with devotees, the place was celebrating Navratri in full swing that evening while a nook of the temple had the screening going on with a temporary projector. Although the place was significantly crowded with devotees from neighboring villages visiting the popular temple, not many turned up for the screening, not even those who were seen on screen.

For filmmaker Rohit Pawar, who was consistently threatened, beaten up once and also had a local villager as a bodyguard each time he went to the village, the assemblage of fewer people during the screening was not a surprise.The viewing marked the end of his two-yearlong efforts and the beginning of the signs of a change. Having shot the documentary amidst severe opposition and constant disruptions,capturing all that he claims is never accessible to an outsider, he was just glad that the film was being allowed to be shown. The 30-minute documentary revolves around Navratri in Veer primarily focusing on the women of the Kolati Community and showing the misdemeanor of the men towards the women during the festival.

“Some of the men called me to cut their shots in which they had held the wrists of the women. Others complemented me on the work and many have accepted me after they realised the authenticity of the project. It began when I visited Veer for the first time and saw a group of boys teasing an eight-year-old girl. The girls are exceptionally mature and used to this but I wanted to show the villagers how, under the name of temple and tradition, they are spoiling  the life of that communit. I think I have succeeded in creating an impact,” says Pawar.

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