Bheetar Lagi – The Ramayana in Song is a documentary
directed by Imran Ali Khan and Smriti Wadhwa. It explores the lives of the
Muslim Manganiar community that earns a living by singing Hindu folk songs
based on Ramayana. The documentary is part of Open Space’s project Kiski Kahani
- The Ramayana Project , which explores Ramayana and how it has impacted
society. Open space is a Pune-based open cultural forum.
You can find more about Open Space here at the official website.
You can find more about Open Space here at the official website.
Express India reports
Living in Bhaiya, a little-known village near Jaisalmer, the Manganiars continue to sing the spiritual and epic works of iconic poets such as Tulsidas and Mirabai, which constitutes their primary source of income. Though there is very little recorded history about the Manganiars and their music, they date back to at least seven generations. While their earlier patrons were wealthy Rajput families and merchants, now they perform at music festivals, weddings and other private events. "It's amazing how their community continues to sing songs from generations ago and how they orally pass on their knowledge from one generation to the next in these times of internet and television," says Ali Khan.
The community sings in several languages, including Hindi, Sindhi and their own language, Marwari. They spend over four hours practising everyday. "They say they would never lose touch with their traditions and music because it was in their blood.