Dharavi: Slum for Sale - Documentary Screening: Events in Hyderabad

REVIEW FOR DHARAVI: SLUM FOR SALE...

The Hyderabad chapter of Rang De is screening a documentary titled "Dharavi: Slum For Sale" at Lamakaan, on 29th December, 7pm onwards.

Bombay, India's gateway to the West, has reinvented itself, and emerged as Mumbai, a modern, self-confident commercial metropolis. But with thousands of migrants pouring in every day, half of its almost 20 million inhabitants is forced to live in slums, in the cracks of the city. The biggest of these slums is called Dharavi.

With an estimated 800,000 inhabitants, Dharavi is one of the most densely populated areas in the world. Dharavi was once outside the city's limits, but it is now at the heart of a constantly growing metropolis, flanked by traffic arteries and right next to Mumbai's new financial hub.

The former marsh has now turned into prime real estate, a playground for ambitious urban planning. Ten years ago, US-trained architect Mukesh Mehta came back to India to usher in a new turn in Mumbai's slum rehabilitation policies. His formula is public-private partnership. Billions of dollars could be made if the responsibility for a radical makeover of Dharavi were to be put into the hands of private investors. The government has been persuaded by Mehta's vision, and has appointed him as the consultant for the Dharavi Redevelopment Project.

While thousands of families living and working in the slum are facing the threat of being evicted, Dharavi is becoming a test case, not only for Mumbai or India, but for the future of the underprivileged of the entire world.

"Dharavi: Slum For Sale" follows the struggle on both the planner's side and the slum dwellers' side. While exploring differing perceptions of what development should focus on, it gives an insight into the living conditions in one of the most surprising places in human society.

RDBO (Rang De Box Office) is an intiative of the Rang De Hyderabad Chapter. The aim of Rang De Hyderabad Chapter is to screen documentaries that deal with social issues that India faces today. These films are made by filmmakers of all nationalities who want to shine a spotlight on social issues ranging from gender injustices and the climate change, to the suicide of farmers in rural areas of India.

Films are screened for free, and each screening is followed by a discussion among the audience about the topic of the documentary.

Please contact 96427-31329 for further details.