[1]Mango Girls. Much like its name, the film is a happy story — of fighting spirit and undying hope. At least that is what the makers, Robert Carr and Kunal Sharma hope it stands for. An American music enthusiast and a debutant desi filmmaker, the two got together to share a common story that touched both their hearts.
Robert first moved to India on a spiritual quest at the age of 22, after the death of his mother. “I read a book on Gandhi and there was a chapter on Ramakrishna, the Bengal saint. That created an interest in India and its spiritual traditions. Later I found my way to The Vedanta Center in my home town, Oregon. Later I read a book by J. Krishnamurti. Some years later I found my way to India, met JK and spent several months with him,” says Robert. “I was impressed with his knowledge about India. Despite being a foreigner, he knew so much about India. I learn from him everyday,” says Kunal.
It was this connection that prompted them to take on Mango Girls — a documentary that chronicles the lives of ordinary people in Dharhara village of Bihar and their extraordinary initiative to fight female infanticide. Every time a girl child is born in Dharhara, the child’s family plants 10 mango tress that help fund her education and marriage. This tradition has been followed for more than 200 years now. Hence unlike its neighbouring villages, there has been no instance of infanticide or dowry death in the village. Even environmentally, the practice helps create green cover.
“We want people to know that it is possible to solve the problem of female infanticide in a positive way. It’s also a unique lesson in environment conservation that you won’t find in the textbooks,” says Kunal.
Describing the process Robert says, “The people of Dharhara opened up to us. They were so helpful, it felt like home.”
Links:
[1] http://archive.asianage.com/t4jpg-352