About the Documentary
People of different faiths, gender and regions make up Mumbai, The huge human jigsaw in this vast urban sprawl with a population of about twenty million. We’ll meet Kallu, who collects dead bodies from the Mithi River… Ambulance drivers like Raj Lokhande and Jeevan who race through narrow, jammed lanes to save lives daily… Former Red light area workers of Kamathipura – Asha and Shobha – who were sold, caged and forced into prostitution and now are part of the Oasis NGO, transforming the lives of other women… Construction workers Azaad, Janaab and Rajaram are employed daily on terrifying building sites, hoping to earn a happy home life while moving from one temporary dwelling to another… Fisherman Akash and his family are caught in a declining market with no guarantee of quality fish or decent prices due to contamination in the sea… Rajashri, a female leader of the Koli community, says her sole purpose in life is to safeguard her community. She organises fish markets around the city to provide work for thousands of women from several villages. This documentary was shot extensively in different parts of Mumbai over fifteen days, showcasing a wide group of people who take risks of faith to overcome the dangers so incredibly and bravely.
Our Heroes
Dead Body Collector
Kallu Sharafat Hussain is a real one-off. For the past 22- years he has pulled dead bodies out of the Mithi River and around Mumbai, helping the Mumbai Police after freaky accidents without getting paid.
He truly believes that doing good brings good. Very few people would dare to do his job, but Kallu sings as he wades through the city’s filth.
Ambulance Driver
Longing to be a racing driver, Raj Lokhande swayed his dreams in a different direction by choosing to drive an ambulance through the mayhem of the city’s traffic, risking his life on a daily basis, rushing patients to a hospital.
Raj and other medic team members hardly ever get enough recovery time in their hectic lives.
Sex Workers
Asha and Shobha emerge as symbols of strength from the darkest corners of Kamathipura in Oasis NGO’s foothold. Former prostitute Shobha was misguided and sold into the abyss of the sex trade from Nepal at the age of 10.
Asha escaped the trap of forced marriage from her family and ended up struggling to survive. They reveal that fair girls and young women were expected to sleep with ten to fifteen clients a day. They weave dreams of liberation, determined to break the chains that bound them and other desperate women.
Construction Workers
Though construction workers Azaad Sheikh, Janab Ali and
Rajaram help to create high-rise buildings for others, they’re aware of their lowly status in the city of dreams.
Despite the superior architecture, they don’t have homes of their own.
Instead, they shift from one grubby temporary base to another.
Koli Fisherfolk
Akash Chande is at sea for days, waiting to catch a full haul of fish, while his wife Pinki waits at home, terrified that his little boat will be sunk by the waves in a storm or coming empty handed.
Seeing a dip in the fishing market for small businesses due to mass pollution and far reaching sailors, Akash seems afraid that his family’s long-lasting heritage and his Koli community will be lost.
Rajashri, a female leader of the Koli community, says her sole purpose in life is to safeguard her community. She organises fish markets around the city to provide work for thousands of women from several villages.
Director's Statement
Compiling the 5 extraordinary stories of fearless Risk Takers was a fascinating journey, meeting people who choose to work anonymously, risking their lives
doing incredibly dangerous jobs. The idea came as I sat at the window with my parents, watching some tree-trimmers working without any safety or support.
The element of pure danger ignited the idea of how risk plays an integral part in survival itself.
Fast forward to the lives we captured and learned from, I discovered new stepping stones for understanding life’s play and philosophy as both a human
and a filmmaker. Bringing this project to screen has been an experience of a lifetime, capturing many of the marvels of Mumbai in their element. I’m incredibly grateful to my dedicated crew who put the film onto the right path, As they believed in it’s strength and we joined forces to create a vision.
My parents specially my father who truly backed me from the beginning and
guided me through to freely explore the world of films and stories
:-Siddhesh Pandey
In the age where empathy is dwindling and darkness casts its shadow, 'The Risk Takers' emerges as a beacon of hope. Through their stories, we are reminded of the resilience and courage that define the human spirit.
Despite its slightly prosaic title surprises you with its intensity, sensitivity and aesthetic even as it captures the lives and deeds of people who live on the margins of the metropolis.
