"Toiletwale"
“Toiletwale” is a video documentary of the project Healthful and Hygienic living (HHL) which was implemented in 30 villages of east and west champaran districts of Bihar by two local development organizations from February 2015 – January 2016.
HHL was conceptualised with a purpose to promote and sustain disability inclusive sanitation facilities in the villages, to create model (accessible) toilets and to sensitize key stakeholders on sanitation for all.
Within one year of its implementation, the initiative succeeds to construct 37 individual household toilets (accessible) through government funding and other local resource mobilization. 20 IHHLs were modified for accessibility.
10 accessible toilets were constructed in government primary school. School teachers observed the increased attendance of girls and students with disabilities in their classes
6 village sanitation monitoring committees (VSMC) were formed that include members as local village leaders, SHG members, DPO members and mothers of children with disabilities. VSMCs in their best capacities are being driven to transform their efforts from community based to community led approach and leave no one without access to appropriate sanitation facilities
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Dakxinkumar Bajrange (Chhara)Director
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Jan Vikas Samiti, Lilliana Fonds and Nomad Movies. Pvt LtdProducer
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Project Type:Documentary
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Runtime:26 minutes 55 seconds
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Completion Date:June 1, 2016
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Country of Origin:India
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Country of Filming:India
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Shooting Format:Full HD
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Film Color:Color
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First-time Filmmaker:No
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Student Project:No
Dakxinkumar Bajrange (Chhara) is an award-winning filmmaker, playwright and activist from the Chhara De-notified Tribes of Ahmedabad in the western part of India. He is a recipient of a Ford Foundation International Fellowship (2010-11) to study Graduate studies in ‘Theatre and Global Development’ at the University of Leeds, UK. His book ‘Budhan Bolta Hai’ (Budhan Speaks) was awarded first prize for "Mahatma Gandhi Best Creative Writing on Human Rights" by National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) for 2010-11. He also receives Rajiv Gandhi Arts Fellowship (2004-05) and Bhasha Fellowship (2002-03) to study art forms of nomadic and de-notified communities in Gujarat. For films he is also the recipient of the Kerala State Award at the International Documentary Short Film Festival of Kerala for the film “The Last Man” in Dec 2021, Recipient of the Best Director Award and “Award for Excellence” at the 7th Art Independent International Film Festival for the film “Budhan Podcast” in Jan 2022, Recipient of Best Director” and “Best Documentary Award” at the Picasso Einstein Buddha International Film Festival for “The Last Man” Jan 2022, Recipient of Donald E. Lacy, Jr. Social Justice Award at the Studio City International Film Festival for my recent documentary film The Last Man 2020, Recipient of Award of Merit at 7th Arts International Film Festival for my film “The Last Man” Nov. 2020, Recipient of Best Director award for his recent film “Covid 19 Blame Game” at the 7th Arts International Film Festival, Nov 2020, Nominated for Social Impact Award for Theatre and Films (2019) by Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIMA) 2019. Members of the public also nominated him for Fellowship for Freedom of Expression, INDEX, UK, 2018, Nominated as “Heroes of Ahmedabad” by Ahmedabad Mirror Newspaper in 2014, and Invited by United Nations to speak about India’s Nomadic and De-notified Tribes in NY in 2007. He is co-author of the book titled “Vimukta - Freedom Stories”, edited by him and Prof. Henry Schwarz of Georgetown University published on 31st Aug 2021 by Navyana Publication House. For more info about my work, recognitions, and media links, please visit www.dakxinchhara.in
Currently, he works as an “Artistic Director” at Budhan Theatre (www.budhantheatre.org), he is also a founding director of Nomad Movies Pvt Ltd. He has written and Directed 13 plays Supervised 48 Theatre Productions of Budhan Theatre and performed more than 1000 shows in different parts of India. He was nominated for "Heroes of Ahmedabad" by Ahmedabad Mirror. As a Filmmaker, he directed 94 fiction and non-fiction films/TV series on various developmental, social and political issues of India He has recently directed his debuted critically acclaimed Bollywood film "Sameer", starring Zeeshan Mohammed, Seema Biswas, Anjali Patil. Sameer was released in theatres in India on 8th Sept 2017 and also screened at New York Indian Film Festival (USA), Charlotte Asian Film Festival (USA) and the Indian International Film Festival of Queensland, Australia where he received the "Best Director" award for 'Sameer". Recently he has finished his film “The Last Man” and finished 20 episodes of Budhan Podcast as “Project Director”, funded by University of Leicester, UK
His academic and journalistic articles on Theatre and Films appeared in several national and international journals/newspapers include,
I think, its an important film to understand sanitation issues of people with disability community in India. I have shot in one area of Bihar state that is considered as the poorest area of India but i think, if look sanitation issues of people with disability community across the nation then we may know some horrific issues happen with these communities. This is just a sample to issue broader picture can be worst the this. I am glad that govt has program called "Swachchha Bharat Mission", thought is good but i think implementation has many issues. In this film, we just shown that how a simple idea, if that incorporate in the existing design of Swachchh Bharat Mission" can change millions of lives in the country. I hope the film will reach to larger the audience as well to the Govt. of India so "Swachchha Bharat" policy can be modified and people disability community can be included in it.