MIFF 2022: Didn't plan to make such a long documentary, says Suraj Seema Uddhav on Earth Animal And Human

Suraj Seema Uddhav's maiden documentary Earth Animal And Human takes us into the remote villages of Kolhapur district of Maharashtra where farmers are forced to indulge in the cruel practice of killing the newborn pups of their dogs.

The moving documentary shows us how these farmers are not cruel people but are themselves victims of a corrupt system. The documentary had its premiere at the Mumbai International Film Festival 2022. In an exclusive conversation with Cinestaan, Suraj discussed the genesis of the film and the struggle they went through in making it.

Earth Animal And Human review: Moving documentary about a cruel practice

"I was actually shooting my first feature film in Kolhapur's Chandgad taluka," Suraj said. "During the shoot I found out about this practice where farmers kill young puppies by throwing them in the well or river. This cruel practice is going on in 160 villages.These farmers keep one or two dogs, especially females, to keep their crops safe from wild animals. And these female dogs procreate every seven or eight months. Because of their economic condition, the farmers can't take care and provide for so many puppies. So they opt to kill them."

When Suraj found out about this practice, he and a friend who runs a dog shelter came together and decided to introduce the villagers to the benefits of sterilization. "Because, in the end, it was also beneficial for them," the director said. "After all, it's not like the villagers were happy with what they were doing. They also felt remorse and were ashamed of this cruel practice, but their hands were tied. The government of India sends crores of rupees for animal welfare to every district, but it never reaches these people who actually need it.

"So we decided to set up a mass sterilization camp. Most of the expenses of the camp were borne by my friend. After the first camp, I realized this can be very helpful but we need to make people aware of this solution, so that's how I came up with the idea of making a documentary."

Suraj and his crew went to those 160 villages, met each family and got their consent for sterilization. "I initially thought we would get this done in probably a week and make a short 15 minute documentary, but I ended up shooting for more than 80 days!"

In fact, the 95 minute documentary shown at MIFF was a rough cut that Suraj submitted to avoid missing the festival deadline. He plans to add the rest of the footage and extend the film by almost an hour. "I have lot more footage to add and it will probably take another three months to complete it," he said. "Then we will send the two-and-a-half-hour-long final version to other festivals."

Noting that documentary is still considered the most boring form of the visual medium, Suraj said it's time to change the perception. "Whenever someone picks up a camera, he/she wants to make a short film, nobody is interested in making a documentary, because it's a more tiring and time-consuming process," he said. "One needs to do thorough research and edit probably hundreds of hours of footage. Also many people find it boring. I hope this changes and youngsters put in efforts to make documentaries. Because, unlike a few years ago, when there was hardly any option to screen your documentaries, we now have various OTT platforms and festivals."

Apart from Earth Animal And Human, Suraj is working on his maiden feature film, Savitryayan. "I have been working simultaneously on these projects for the last two years," the filmmaker said. "Savitryayan is also at the last stage of shooting. It, too, tackles a social issue.

"Until now, we have seen how women, especially in the Indian subcontinent, have to face many problems because our society is still very patriarchal. Through my film, I'm trying to explore how in the guise of following our cultural practices, women are made to go through social discrimination and injustice even after death."

Suraj said he will make an announcement about the film once the shooting and post-production are complete.