Private Project

BULLET

This film is the first phase documentation on affected people of Bullet Train project which is a dream project of India's Prime Minister Mr. Modi. The film investigates that how this no-sense project piercing into the lives of families dependent on their land to make living through farming or running business units. Men and women are losing means and hopes for their livelihood because of an unnecessary, unwarranted and unwanted but much hyped developmental project of Bullet Train between Ahmedabad and Mumbai. How just a signature on a paper called legislation is forcing thousands of people to be uprooted from their own land and devastating their lives. The policy makers have introduced the overnight policy changes and legislation to facilitate the project and ignored thousands of people’s human rights to live and livelihood. The film also shows great anomalies in systems of compensation and rehabilitation, land acquisition for the project and packages announced by Gujarat government.

  • Dakxin Bajrange (Chhara)
    Director
    Sameer, Toiletwale, Birth 1871, Sundarana, Broken Gods
  • Gujarat Khedut Samaj
    Producer
  • Dakxin Chhara
    Editor
  • Baylon Fonseca
    Sound Design
    Raees, Zindagi Na milegi Dobara
  • Sheeraz Khan
    BGM
  • After Studio
    DI
  • Project Type:
    Documentary
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 1 minute 44 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    July 12, 2019
  • Production Budget:
    7,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    India
  • Country of Filming:
    India
  • Language:
    English, Gujarati
  • Shooting Format:
    HD
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16.9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Peer Review Screening
    Ahmedabad
    India
    July 12, 2019
    Peer Review Screening
Director Biography - Dakxin Bajrange (Chhara)

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,

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Director Statement

What is the definition of development? Development for whose cost? India's Prime MInister Mr. Modi is in rush to bring "Development" but in this mindless rush, thousands of...millions of people are affecting...they are loosing their livelihood, land, houses, shops and they are forced to migrate because of so called "Development" projects. Bullet Train is one of no-sense project taking place from Ahmedabad to Mumbai and that will cost 1.1 trillion USD, will affect more then 5000 households. Nature Parks, Natural Mangroves and tribal land which is violation of fifth schedule of constitution of India. When there are hundreds of options are available for travel between Ahmedabad and Mumbai than brining Bullet Train is a dangerous, hazardous and horrific nonsense idea.

The films travels from Ahmedabad to Vapi (Areas to be affected by Bullet Train project in Gujarat) and investigate regressive and unconstitutional land acquisition of farmers land in rural part and shop owners in urban areas. This film follows an advocate Anand Yagnik who is fighting land acquisition cases in Hon. Gujarat High Court. By conducting small meeting, he is trying to educate peasants for their legal rights, fair compensation and legal information before they give up their land for Bullet Train Project.

This first phase documentation questions what is development? for whom? and for whose cost? In coming months, this film will be screened in affected areas, in villages, in small towns and in tribal areas in Gujarat and Mumbai to educate Bullet Train project affected people about their rights.

This film also aims to sensitise Japan International Corporation Agency (JICA) who is funding the project and urge them to follow their own guideline to fund the said project.