Elroy Pinto

This Foundation Project implemented by IFA under Productions, will be a retelling of a mid-19th Century Ballad called Governor and Koli: A Fisherman's Legend through the medium of dance and music in a docu-fiction short film. Elroy Pinto is the Project Coordinator. 

Elroy is a filmmaker and has a Masters in Global Cinemas from the School of Oriental and African Studies (University of London, UK), and pedagogical training in filmmaking and music. His research, writing, and moving image work are deeply rooted in the rich storytelling traditions of pre-modern South Asian art forms, including Indo-Persian miniature painting, medieval religious architecture, and the Gwalior Khayal music tradition. He has taught cinema at Wilson College (University of Mumbai, India) and has curated film programmes for TARQ, a contemporary art gallery in Mumbai. His current research interests encompass sacred architecture, the social stratification of Bombay's Catholic community, working-class history and culture, historical materialism, cultural theory, anti-caste movements, heterodox (Nastika) South Asian epics, and Indian New Wave cinema. Given his expertise he is best placed to be the Project Coordinator of this Foundation Project of IFA. Aishwarya Raut, a contemporary dancer, will be the collaborator in this project. 

For this project, Elroy and Aishwarya will work together along with cultural activist Dhammarakshit Randive to reinterpret the mid-19th century folk ballad Governor and Koli: A Fisherman’s Legend through dance, music, and documentary storytelling through a short film. The narrative will begin with Aishwarya Raut delving into her family’s history, specifically the life of her great-grandfather, the socialist leader Rajaram Balkrishna (Bhausaheb) Raut. By researching private family archives, interviewing Koliwadi residents, and studying state records, Aishwarya aims to uncover important gaps in the family’s oral history, particularly the absence of stories about the women in her lineage. This absence will be framed within the broader transformation of Bombay, from a feudal society to a capitalist state, and the struggle of the Koli community to preserve its identity in the face of colonial and industrial changes.

The project will blend documentary and fiction, following Aishwarya’s journey through historical archives and personal reflection, interwoven with imagined conversations with her ancestors. Through dance, she will transform historical texts into abstract movements, reinterpreting the ballad for a contemporary audience. The final performance will be in the Koliwadas, merging real and imagined histories. Dhammarakshit Randive from Yalgaar Sanskrutik Manch, will reinterpret the music of the ballad, combining traditional folk forms with modern political themes. His work will reconnect the Koli identity with its oral traditions while reflecting on the evolution of the community over the last century.

The outcome of this project will be a documentary fiction film that blends dance, archival research, community engagement, and fictionalised scenes. The film will be showcased in an art exhibition at Fulcrum in Mumbai, and later presented online, offering a multidimensional exploration of Koli history, identity, and culture in a rapidly changing cityscape. The Project Coordinator's deliverables to IFA along with the final report will be documentation materials from the project and the docu-fiction film.

This project suitably addresses the framework of IFA’s Arts Practice Programme in the manner in which it intends to create a film exploring personal histories and merging it with the larger history of a community, culture and its transformation.

IFA will ensure that the implementation of this project happens in a timely manner and funds expended are accounted for. IFA will also review the progress of the project at midterm and document it through an Implementation Memorandum. After the project is finished and all deliverables are submitted, IFA will put together a Final Evaluation to share with Trustees. 

This project is made possible with support from Tata Trusts.