We are thrilled to announce a major milestone for Camp Banas as our latest documentary film, ‘Children of Banas,’ has been selected for a prestigious screening at the 5th Nadi Utsav 2024! This special event, hosted by the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) under the Ministry of Culture, Government of India, is a celebration of environmental and cultural storytelling, bringing focus to the rivers of India and the communities that thrive around them.

Event Details:

– Date: 21st September 2024

– Time: 10:00 AM – 10:45 AM

– Venue: Samvit Auditorium, IGNCA, New Delhi

About the Documentary

‘Children of Banas’ is a moving exploration of the untold stories of the Banas River in Madhya Pradesh. Directed by Sagar Das and produced by Camp Banas, this 45-minute film dives into the intimate relationship between the river and the people who rely on its waters for their daily lives, culture, and livelihoods. The film highlights the natural beauty of the river’s watershed, the challenges of water conservation, and the enduring cultural traditions tied to its flow.

The documentary has been crafted with the collective effort of our talented team:

– Cinematographer: Kuber Patel

– Voiceover: Swastik Sarkar

– Project Manager: Ramkesh Patel

– Editor: Neelesh Raikwar

– Writer and Director: Sagar Das

Why You Should Attend

This screening will be an immersive experience, as Sagar Das himself will be present to walk the audience through the making of the documentary and discuss its underlying themes of environmental sustainability and cultural preservation. For anyone passionate about rivers, local communities, or environmental storytelling, this is a must-attend event!

We invite all our friends, supporters, and followers to join us in New Delhi for this exciting screening. Let’s celebrate the journey of the Banas River and reflect on the pressing need for sustainable water practices for future generations.

Stay tuned for more updates, and we look forward to seeing you there!

– Team Camp Banas

The journey of creating Children of Banas began with a deep love for nature and the desire to bring attention to lesser-known ecological marvels, like the Banas River in Madhya Pradesh. The river, flowing quietly through the Sanjay Dubri Tiger Reserve, holds countless stories of resilience, survival, and symbiosis with the communities living around it. It’s a story that has long been undiscovered, despite its significant ecological and cultural importance.

In the winter of 2020, we began our journey with a visit to the Sanjay Dubri and Banas River region to produce our first environmental documentary, *Singrauli Eco-Tourism Circuit* for NCL. By 2022, we relocated our Edu-media start-up, Rosehub, from the vibrant IIT (BHU) Varanasi campus to the quiet, remote village of Hathwar on the banks of the Banas River in Shahdol, Madhya Pradesh. This move marked a pivotal moment for us, both physically and creatively.

Living here, we realized that how deeply the river impacted the livelihoods, culture, and environment of the region. During early research trips, we spoke to locals who shared moving stories about their relationship with the river—how it shaped their way of life, nurtured wildlife, and provided the backbone for agriculture. These stories inspired us to dig deeper and present the untold narrative of the Banas River to the world.

Over the years, we faced many challenges, from harsh weather to traveling through remote regions for months. One memorable incident was being caught in a sudden rainstorm while filming in an open safari vehicle. For hours, we were stuck in the wilderness, barely saving the equipment, soaking wet, yet mesmerized by nature’s raw beauty and unpredictability.

Another evening! It was a solitary evening, early in winter. The bank of the Banas was empty, like a clean slate, silent and steeped in melancholy. But the next morning, we woke to the vibrant sounds of thousands of birds—chirping and flapping their wings, filling the air with life. Cormorants had arrived from distant lands, perhaps from the Middle East, to rest at the Banas. In that moment, it felt as if the river itself was speaking, reminding us why this story mattered.

Through this documentary, we want to inspire change—showing how conservation efforts can go hand in hand with cultural preservation. We hope to foster a deeper understanding of how interconnected we are with the natural world and encourage meaningful steps toward protecting our rivers and natural resources.

We believe latest our documentary film, ‘Children of Banas,’ would prove to be one of the most important milestones in the journey of Rosehub and #CampBanas