Movies in India sincerely highlighting the issue of Climate change and Water scarcity.

Cinema in India has changed after the ’50s, it is far removed from the villages and forests of India. Over the year there has been less to no efforts to portray the everyday struggles of a common Indian man with respect to his basic needs of breathable air and water. India ranks among the water-stressed countries of the globe, but our Bollywood with its steady supply of champagne is yet to take cognizance of the everyday reality of the people, who buy their tickets.

Bollywood has done quite well on the front of reformation movies, which have talked about changing the social dynamics of the society but the issues of environment and climate change are alienated themes. Prasoon Joshi, CBFC Chairman, during Climate Jamboree, an environmental event said, “The films based on such issues (on the environment) can be a great way to spread messages if there is a pinch of entertainment aspect in them.”

Once in a while, Indian cinema talks about burning issues of our times and, help in spreading awareness among the people. I’m going list out the few but sincere efforts made to acknowledge that there is World beyond Johar and Chopra castles, where people are sitting in a drought land, mumbling prayers for Rain god to bless their barren land with a shower, where women travel for hours to fetch water to cook food and many die or commit suicide because crops dried with thirst in fields. Cinema has the capacity to leave an everlasting impact on the society.

One must watch these movies if you haven’t yet and do grab the chance to support such movies because to maintain the supply of content-oriented movies you need to generate a steady demand for one. These movies sure draw a bleak reality but are not futuristic rather realistic.

1. Kadvi Hawa (Bitter Wind)

The movie is based in a Bundelkhand village where it hasn’t rained for 15 years, Kadvi Hawa is the story of a blind, old man (played by Sanjay Mishra), who lives in the fear of his son, Mukund (essayed by Bhupesh Singh) committing suicide in the face of back-breaking debt. The movie is directed by Nila Madhab Panda of I Am Kalam fame, who is known for his documentaries that address environmental problems. It is not just the story that talks of the Bitter wind or kadvi hawa, the film uses the cinematography and camera to highlight the scorching heat that climate change has brought to the famine-hit regions of our country. 

2. Kaun Kitney Panee Mein (Who is in how much water)

The movie is set in the state of Odisha, it tells the story of a village divided into two – Upri (Upper) and Bairi (Enemy/Outsider). The origin of this dispute is love. The king of the village played by Saurabh Shukla – one of the finest character actors in the Hindi film industry – he is the heart of the film, ruling over a village that has no water. Without water there is no sanitation, no crops, and even the king of the village has to decide whether the one bucket of water in the morning will be used to cook his food, or whether he can finally have a bath. Panda depicts a water barter economy in which everybody is using pouches of water either to pay to the prostitute or tailor. Another must watch directed by the award winning film director, Nila Madhab Panda.

3. Jal (Water)

The story revolves around a young man named Bakka (Purab Kohli), who is gifted with a special ability to find water in the desert. With the backdrop of water scarcity, the film tells a complex story of love, relationships, enmity, deceit and circumstances that bring about the dark side of human character. The cinematography excellently captures the Rann of Kutch and how lack of water affects the land and thus the migratory patterns of birds. Jal is officially selected for 18th BUSAN international Film Festival and Indian Panorama's IFFI 2013. The movie has won the National Award for Best Visual effect (2014).

4. Well Done Abba

The movie is a political satire directed by Shyam Benegal. It is the remake of the 2007 Marathi film, Jau Tithe Khau. It was based on three short stories: Narsaiyyan Ki Bavdi by Jeelani Bano, Phulwa Ka Pul by Sanjeev and Still Waters by Jayant Kripalani. It is story of Armaan (Boman Irani), a driver who lives in a village suffering from water shortage with his daughter. Gradually, he gets fed up of the government's promises of solving the problem and decides to teach it a lesson. The movie won the 2009 National Film Award for Best Film on Social Issues.