Documentary to highlight plight of Gadia Lohar community

“The Gadia Lohars are an intriguing community living without government help or support. Despite a royal legacy, they were once the blacksmiths for the legendary 16th century ruler of Mewar, Maharana Pratap, they have been reduced to being roadside blacksmiths living in poverty,” the director said. Also an actor and businesswoman, Deana shot her yet-to-be released maiden documentary venture across Rajasthan.

It is important to create awareness about Gadia Lohars (blacksmiths) to help them get the required support, says UK-based filmmaker Deana Uppal, whose documentary "India's Forgotten People" explores the world of the nomadic community. According to Deana, the community is mostly "unknown and misunderstood".

The documentary delves into the history of the community and chronicles their royal legacy as well as the reasons that led to their current state of poverty, she said. "The Gadia Lohars are an intriguing community living without government help or support. Despite a royal legacy, they were once the blacksmiths for the legendary 16th century ruler of Mewar, Maharana Pratap, they have been reduced to being roadside blacksmiths living in poverty," the director said.

Also an actor and businesswoman, Deana shot her yet-to-be released maiden documentary venture across Rajasthan. Her aim she said is to break the popular perception that the community is engaged in crime. "Contrary to belief, they are a peaceful community and has zero crime rate. The documentary aims to present all of these important factors in a light manner." Deana was accompanied by four crew members as the team travelled to Jaipur, Jodhpur, Udaipur, Chittorgarh, and various other villages in the state. Produced by DKU productions, the documentary was shot over a period of one year, and the makers are planning to release it soon. "The shooting took one whole year. The crew needed time to bond with the people in the film and to gain their trust to be able to film their lives. Now the film is complete and we want to release it as soon as possible," a DKU Productions' representative said.

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