We probably don’t need another research report to call attention to the numerous adversities caused by the ambitious hydropower plants mushrooming along India’s Himalayan belt. Yet in the name of meeting rising demands for electricity in the country, we are jeopardising ecology, championing irreversible damage to the environment and causing forced displacement of the people who traditionally belong to this terrain. Piercing through the mountains to set up enormous hydroelectric projects doesn’t necessarily uplift the local economy or provide employment. Nonetheless, authorities remain buoyant about their prospects. Written, directed and edited by Yashasvi Juyal, Rains Don’t Make Us Happy Anymore (RDMUHA) – Produced by Sharad Mehra – minces no words to point out the devastating human cost of these projects that we conveniently choose to ignore.
The 27-minute documentary begins in the form of a verbal correspondence between a boy (voice by Dheeraj Kumar) and girl (voice by Pushpa Rawat), who were seemingly in love but got separated due to migration caused by a man-made disaster. They talk about a ring they might have lost in the river. There are references made to the Dvapara Yuga, when demons would attack remote villages in the higher Himalayas. These myths surround the Jaunsar-Bawar region of Uttarakhand. In 2022, a village called Lohari was washed away during the construction of the 120 MW Vyasi Hydroelectric Project on the Yamuna River. People’s homes, farmlands and entire existence were erased. But were they duly compensated for their losses? Not really.
A Curious Eyes Cinema and Silvercord Films presentation, RDMUHA focuses on the displaced farming community’s psychological and social consequences. Strong imagery and emotive language take the form of a scathing critique of the mindless development projects in the Himalayas. Grey waters, trails of JCBs and lorries alongside engineers and construction workers in uniforms paint a rather grim picture of a poorly planned future. The film uses a dappled color palette, thoughtfully complemented by its cinematography (by Dipesh Manral) and sound design (by Ankit Thapa). Colorist Mahak Gupta also deserve a special mention.
In essence, the narrative revolves around the last member of the indigenous Jaunsari community, who somehow manages to survive amid the remnants of his submerged village. He corresponds with a friend who had left the village long ago. Through letters, they talk about gods and demons, and the many memories of their beloved land that’s not to be found anymore. The filmmaker uses myth and reality as plot devices to weave a dreamy narrative – about a lost land, where rains no longer bring joy.
The quest to find a lost ring intertwines with hopes for financial growth and a higher quality of life, as promised by land-degrading infrastructure projects worth millions of rupees. Year after year, we hear stories of collapsed bridges and dam failures, killing scores of workers and local residents. Yet we continue to sell dreams in a bid to improve access to essential services and enhance social well-being. Marred by eerie silence and dilapidated homes, the village is now a cauldron of uncanny dreams, forever haunting the people who once lived here. It’s plunged into darkness forever, just to facilitate supply of electricity to neighbouring states.
Watch Yashasvi Juyal’s short documentary Rains Don’t Make Us Happy Anymore for its unflinching portrayal of what we like to describe as ‘our untiring endeavour toward building a better future’. The silences and metaphors add more value to the narrative. The film is a thought-provoking piece of art quietly depicting the cruel reality of life. Don’t miss the legend about lizards.
