River on the brink

In the film,Unniraman uses the spiritual and religious symbolism of the Ganges,coupled with scientific data,to stress on the threats to the river. “Most documentaries,I realised,relied on inundating the viewer with technical data. That does not convince the viewer to take action. So we tried to document the problem from the perspective of the people,who depend on the river and are contributing to the problem,” he explains.

The documentary begins with a hypothetical depiction of how the Ganga will appear from space in the year 2035—as kilometers of barren river bed. Then the film shifts attention to present times to the ghats of Banaras. “We earlier wanted to show the journey of the river through the floodplains of the Sunderbans,but later realised how Banaras provides subsistence to people and is also one of the most significant places of worship for Hindus,” he says.

During the six months of filming,Unniraman documented many sites along the river’s flow. From Banaras,he travels to Hampta pass in Manali where geologists from the GSI are studying the melting glaciers,and to Kanpur and Meerut,where the river is reduced to a crawling drain. “The film is a mixture of anecdotal experiences of locals and scientific data provided by experts from respective fields,” Unniraman says.

In a career spanning over 15 years,Unniraman has made over a dozen films for TV on socially relevant subjects and environmental degradation. In 2006,he directed a 52-episode TV serial for Doordarshan on AIDS/ HIV awareness called Haath Se Haath Mila,with Bollywood stars John Abraham,Shilpa Shetty and Fardeen Khan. But Unniraman refuses to consider these achievements as significant milestones in his career. “A film is only successful if it is able to reach out to enough people and bring about some change,” he says.

After completing the film,Unniraman approached the WWF for further dissemination of the message. And they,in turn,requested him to make a film on the plight of the Yamuna. “I refused,” he says. “I was afraid of being repetitive.”

He is currently wrapping up a UNICEF-sponsored project of ‘training video’ DVDs to tackle issues of women’s welfare. His next project: a fictional film on climate change. “I have the story in mind and will begin writing the script soon,” he says.