Jumbo docu aims to break the chains of abuse

For those who had assembled at the CP Art Centre in Alwarpet on Wednesday, the screening of Sangita Iyer’s new documentary was nothing short of a wake-up call. The filmmaker, who was born and raised in Palakkad and has now settled in Canada puts forth a damning indictment of how culture has made way for consumerism, in several temples where these gentle giants are subjected to a life of agony, ‘for the sake of rituals, that do not have founding in any religion.’ 

From the unhygienic living spaces of the animals to their festering wounds or even being paraded for hours together in the scorching sun, the film does not shy away from depicting the harsh realities on the ground.  The sad state of affairs with regard to temple elephants comes across in a hard-hitting scene in Sangita’s film when her camera lingers on a herd of temple elephants marched in procession to pay respects at a memorial held in honour of a pachyderm, who succumbed to injuries sustained when one of its herd members ran amok at a temple. 

Sangita tells us, “Denial is seen as the best form of defence by those who employ these animals in such pitiable conditions. I was able to screen my film at the Kerala Legislative Assembly, which caused a ripple effect of sorts in the state. Many of the screenings were jam packed as people were intent on understanding the perspective offered by my film. However, the reactions of the wildlife authorities were mixed. The higher authorities in one of the temples, featured in my film were not even willing to watch the film, let alone entertain any queries.” 

The documentary also features interviews with a panel of environmental experts and activists including Suparna Ganguly, the co-founder of Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre, poet Sugathakumari and Dr Raman Sukumar of Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. Sangita uses her documentary to lay bare the economics that drive this industry as well. She informs us that owning a fullygrown male elephant can cost you upwards of Rs 1 crore. But if the same elephant were to be blinded, by natural causes, or accidentally, the price of the elephant would plummet to about Rs 20 lakh – a knowledge that owners and mahouts exploit to their advantage. Animal lovers and activists from across the city and even beyond who had participated in the screening of the 90-minute film lauded Sangita’s efforts and have pledged to do their bit in helping return these animals to their original habitats.