The Story Thus Far
This is an accident
i mean this documentary of mine
GANDHI'S CHILDREN
First i wrote to many
Organizations, companies, institutes
Asking for funding
To embark on my first full length documentary film
But no one believed me
That i would do justice to their funds
Then i wrote my friends
Those in USA
Asking them to help
Help introduce my project to institutes that they know of.
Most did not even reply.
Some said sorry
Worst of all i lost many of my regular friends.
They went missing.
But few friends remained
Ari, Glen, Gil, Woody, Walter and Supun shared their love with me.
They placed trust upon me.
But all put together i had only 4700 US dollars.
Convert that into Indian currency 109,000 Indian Rupees.
What could i do
With such small money
Camera, editing, dubbing, music, finalizing
Woooooof it was dreadful
i left for India
Landed in Chennai
That was last January 2010
With small money
Yet, big intentions
Took a train to Varanasi
It was a 36 hour journey
And that was only the start.
Ever since i travel across India
In coach class railway compartments
Ate from wayside boutiques
Slept in Ashrams and filled my water bottle often
In that freezing winter weather
i got frozen some night
But was on the hunt for stories the next morning
Time passed - good bye holy Ganges
i went to Bhopal
To meet with PV Rajagopal
And his Ekta Parishad Parivar
It was all different
i changed my mind
i changed my story
While in Bhopal
i got a shock
A shock of my life
i felt the agony
Of those died
That "Union Carbide tragedy"
What a disaster
8000 dead
500,000 injured
25 years later victims still fight
Fight for compensation
i was fortunate
Was the last one allowed
Inside the factory
With a movie camera on
Two days later
They banned visits
Walked into the deep forest
With Rajaji and Jill
Joined tribals
Spoke to them in broken Hindi
Ate from their plates
Walk walk walk walk walk
Two and a half months
In Madya Pradesh - Bihar - Kerala
Came back home
With a lung infection to treat
Took time again
To find money to pay studios
Money money money
Failed again
Finally i decided
Quit this damn film
Let me get on with my life.
But then when in New York
i got my Apple MAC
With brand new software
Even Stephen Spielberg
Uses the same
i started the edit
First i cried
Didn't know how
How to use this software
FINAL CUT PRO
It was difficult
Very difficult
And i quit again
Slept on it for months
Almost gave up
Forget it - i am sick
But suddenly i woke up
Woke up to pay tribute.
Tribute to my affectionate India
The only one who believed
That i would make a film someday
i found a mirror
A mirror in him that showed me my soul
i fell in love
Love with my work
Edit edit edit
Finished all that in one go
Now it's all over
My labour of love
But i don't like it all
Too much of attachments
Attachments lead to suffering
Suffering delays Nirvana
i mean this documentary of mine
GANDHI'S CHILDREN
First i wrote to many
Organizations, companies, institutes
Asking for funding
To embark on my first full length documentary film
But no one believed me
That i would do justice to their funds
Then i wrote my friends
Those in USA
Asking them to help
Help introduce my project to institutes that they know of.
Most did not even reply.
Some said sorry
Worst of all i lost many of my regular friends.
They went missing.
But few friends remained
Ari, Glen, Gil, Woody, Walter and Supun shared their love with me.
They placed trust upon me.
But all put together i had only 4700 US dollars.
Convert that into Indian currency 109,000 Indian Rupees.
What could i do
With such small money
Camera, editing, dubbing, music, finalizing
Woooooof it was dreadful
i left for India
Landed in Chennai
That was last January 2010
With small money
Yet, big intentions
Took a train to Varanasi
It was a 36 hour journey
And that was only the start.
Ever since i travel across India
In coach class railway compartments
Ate from wayside boutiques
Slept in Ashrams and filled my water bottle often
In that freezing winter weather
i got frozen some night
But was on the hunt for stories the next morning
Time passed - good bye holy Ganges
i went to Bhopal
To meet with PV Rajagopal
And his Ekta Parishad Parivar
It was all different
i changed my mind
i changed my story
While in Bhopal
i got a shock
A shock of my life
i felt the agony
Of those died
That "Union Carbide tragedy"
What a disaster
8000 dead
500,000 injured
25 years later victims still fight
Fight for compensation
i was fortunate
Was the last one allowed
Inside the factory
With a movie camera on
Two days later
They banned visits
Walked into the deep forest
With Rajaji and Jill
Joined tribals
Spoke to them in broken Hindi
Ate from their plates
Walk walk walk walk walk
Two and a half months
In Madya Pradesh - Bihar - Kerala
Came back home
With a lung infection to treat
Took time again
To find money to pay studios
Money money money
Failed again
Finally i decided
Quit this damn film
Let me get on with my life.
But then when in New York
i got my Apple MAC
With brand new software
Even Stephen Spielberg
Uses the same
i started the edit
First i cried
Didn't know how
How to use this software
FINAL CUT PRO
It was difficult
Very difficult
And i quit again
Slept on it for months
Almost gave up
Forget it - i am sick
But suddenly i woke up
Woke up to pay tribute.
Tribute to my affectionate India
The only one who believed
That i would make a film someday
i found a mirror
A mirror in him that showed me my soul
i fell in love
Love with my work
Edit edit edit
Finished all that in one go
Now it's all over
My labour of love
But i don't like it all
Too much of attachments
Attachments lead to suffering
Suffering delays Nirvana
Vishnu Vasu