Documentary Films Directed by Aruna HarPrasad
image

THE ELEPHANT DOCTOR

In Kerela, the Elephant Doctor is no ordinary veterinary doctor. He is a very busy man tending to more than 6 to 10 elephants a day. Dr. Panicker has a special relationship with his mammoth friends and is also doing a scientific research on them.
image

TRACKING THE JANGAMS AT THE MAHAKUMBH

"Jangams" who hail from Haryana, Punjab and Himachal, attired with peacock feathered turbans, are believed to be born out of Lord Shiva's thigh. Unfamiliar to most Indians, the Jangams speak a mixed language, and are the last exponents of a long traditional culture.
image

RAJAS OF THE BURNING GHATS

In Varanasi, the heirs of the cremation grounds are the Dom rajas. People come from all over India to receive the eternal fire from the Dom rajas to light the pyres of their loved ones. The concept of death, according to Hindu philosophy, is an accepted part of life, in contrast to the West where most people are frightened of death.
image

THE DISHUM DISHUM MAN

The documentary explores the world of the stunt men of Mumbai, through the eyes of Mahendra Verma, the son of Bollywood’s first stuntman. As a Stunt Director he conceives and directs action sequences with his team of stuntmen. With no insurance or safety equipment, these brave men execute complex and dangerous action manoeuvres through sheer skill alone. The film was exhibited at the Mumbai International Film Festival 1998 For Documentary, Short & Animation Films.
image

DANCING WITH THE GURUS

The film follows the last true exponents of Kuttiyattam, Guru Ammanur Madhav Chakkyar and Kathakali, Guru Ramankutty Nair, to understand their exquisite but complex art form and the future for their 2000 year legacy of dance drama.
image

LADAKHI AND A COMMANDANT

In Ladakh, a Buddhist Commandant of a Battalion in the Indo-Tibet Border Police, Sonam Paljor scaled Mt. Everest without oxygen and was awarded the Padmashree. A proud Indian, whose endeavor is "to put the flag of India higher and higher than Everest".
image

TIRUPATI – A KARMIC DEBT

This temple receives an annual income of approximately Rs 419 crores through daily offerings, making it the richest Hindu temple in the world. The film captures the atmosphere of the temple, and the belief of thousands of devotees in Lord Venkateshwara, the God who symbolises the materialistic world of Kalyug or the modern age of mankind.
image

MAJULI- FLOODS IN HEAVEN

In Majuli, Assam (the largest river island in the world) 160 Satras or gurukuls (Monastic schools) were established in the 15th century imparting education in music, dance, art, culture and scriptures. Following a vedic way of life, these monasteries are the last living institutions of ancient India.

image

DHARMA DOLLIES

Dharma Dollies explores stress and anxiety amongst the new generation which drives them to all kinds of quick fix aids like Feng Shui, meditation and healing: a new line of business activity, which has sprouted dozens of spiritual gurus all over India.
image

LITTLE TEACHERS OF THONDAMUTHUR

An intimate portrait of two girls between the ages of 10 and 12 years, who are amongst the 1500 little teachers holding night classes for their illiterate parents and school drop-outs. This film is seen through the eyes of a journalist who strikes a relationship with the two girls Somasundari, a milkman's daughter and Pushpalata, an areca-nut labourer's daughter.
image

THE TRIBES OF THE ANDAMAN & NICOBAR ISLANDS - 1

Aruna Har Prasad travels to the inaccessible locations in the Andamans archipelago, to document the last of the world's living aborigines. It portrays the life and time of six tribes, which number less than a thousand and await extinction. Shot on location and 40 days on sea. It was nominated for the 1995 Mumbai International Film Festival.
image

THE TRIBES OF THE ANDAMAN & NICOBAR ISLANDS - 2

Aruna Har Prasad travels to the inaccessible locations in the Andamans archipelago, to document the last of the world's living aborigines. It portrays the life and time of six tribes, which number less than a thousand and await extinction. Shot on location and 40 days on sea. It was nominated for the 1995 Mumbai International Film Festival.
image

Gandhi Lives

“Gandhi Lives”, does not present a stereotypical portrait of Gandhi, but rather looks at him through the eyes of a generation who never knew him. This view in the film highlights what Gandhi was and how he is perceived today. The film refrains from intellectualizing Gandhi, and steers away from relegating him to the dusty pages of history. Instead the film explores the relevance of Mahatma Gandhi through professionals and ordinary people, in urban and rural India. It ends with Gandhi coming alive, seen through the eyes of a remarkable, 92 year old man, V. Kalyanam, the last personal secretary to Mahatma Gandhi. The entire narration in the film is in first person as it consists of excerpts from Gandhi’s writings, giving the illusion of Gandhi commenting on contemporary India through the visuals and sequences in the film. The music in the film is Gandhi’s favourite bhajan, “Vaishnava Janato” that Aruna has experimented with in Rap and Quawwali styles.

Aruna HarPrasad

Aruna HarPrasad is a passionate observer and an interpreter of what goes beyond the obvious. Her love of the lens and eye for details, have been an integral part of her illustrious career as a filmmaker for nearly 4 decades. A documentary director, producer, cultural consultant, set decorator, line producer, creative consultant, screenwriter and even an actor - her talent took various forms while working with international & national acclaimed directors of the film industry.