In 1996 I was working as a cameraman with TVI (BiTV) and was engaged to shoot a documentary "Hai Akhtari" on the noted singer, Begum Akhtar. The documentary was very well received and telecast repeatedly. This was the era when we were still using tape and HD was yet to become a standard. This film was made during the time when we had no video or footages of Begum Akhtar and just a few photos. We had no budget for actors nor props and we were left to our own very minimalist devices to develop scenes where we wanted the audience to feel the presence of history, her presence. With very basic lights and a series of power extension boards we somehow managed to light up the rooms in Hassan Rashid's ancestral home to recreate the feeling of a mehfil. It was a very memorable experience for all of us, no budget and just enthusiasm and a passion for creating meaningful cinema. Over time the documentary almost all but disappeared until recently I found a 388 x 244 low resolution version. For a while I sat on that lores print wondering what to do with it. Recently I discovered TOPAZ AI and I started using it to enhance the video which I eventually managed to upscale to 1080 and cleaned it up on Da Vinci Resolve Studio. It is still not the best, but definitely viewable for music aficionados at least. Akhtari Bai Faizabadi, also known as Begum Akhtar, was an Indian singer and actress. Dubbed "Mallika-e-Ghazal", she is regarded as one of the greatest singers of ghazal, dadra, and thumri genres of Hindustani classical music. Scripted and Directed by: S.Kalidas Producer : Saurabh Bhattacharya Cinematography : Sachin Singh Editor and Audio Mastering : Hassan Rashid #begumakhtar #haiakhtari #documentary #archival #TVI #bitv #skalidas #sachinsingh #ghazals #qwaali #dadra #lightclassical #topazai #blackvinciresolve #resolve19 Cover Photo Courtesy David Fenster shows Begum Akhtar with Avatar Meher Baba and Maharani of Baroda Shanta Devi,

2022 - 2023 is Year of Pastoralism Transhumance and I spent some time with five Fuals or Shepherds in Kullu Valley as they prepared for their annual transhumance to the high altitude meadow of Khandahar. This 5 day journey with 2000 sheep and goats is permitted only through strategically developed religious taboos and restrictions, a journey akin to a pilgrimage to their hidden Shangrila, where mountain passes are guarded by fierce deities called Joginis. These religious and social taboos are instrumental in helping to conserve and maintain the ecological balance, the forests and wildlife in these upper regions of the Himalayas. Since the Himalayas are also a major source of medicinal plants and herbs, these restrictions also prevent their over extraction. The shepherds live very regulated and frugal lives where the forest and natural resources are concerned. They do not cut any green living plants nor misuse anything, even though having a fire burining constantly is their hallmark, yet they do not cut any trees but will choose to carry really heavy cumbersome logs of trees which have died or were struck by lightning or were torn down during a storm. Their clothes are also mostly homespun and very comfortable through even the most trying weather. It was a really eye opening experience to spend time with these knowledegable, affable and warm hearted people who never shy from a good joke at anyone's expense. #pastoral #journeys #livestock #himalaya #himalayandiaries #ruralindia #india #remote #highaltitude #sonyalpha #adaptability #a7siii #sheep #goats #himachalpradesh #khandadhar #joginis #deities #altitude #forest #alpine #kullu ##sanju #generous #kindhearted #humanity

Crosscurrents is a documentary highlighting the ethnic and identity conflicts between the native Fijians and the non-native Indian diaspora in the backdrop of the Fiji coup d' etat in the year 2000. The film takes a non-partisan deep dive into the lives of Fijians, their mutual inter dependency and co-existence and how these relationships have been systematically eroded by small minded prejudices and bigotry. The film follows the stories of both Indian and Native Fijians and lends a space for their voices without any external commentary and the slow movement towards reconcilliation. Dir: Vibodh Parathsarathi Executive Producer : Shubha Singh Cinematography : Sachin Singh Audio Recording: Balbir Singh Rawat Producer : Ministry of External Affairs - India #fiji #indiandiaspora #coupdetat #ethnicity #identitypolitics #reconcilliation #mahendrachaudhary #rabuka

Show reel for 2 part documentary on India with presenter Claus Kleber of ZDF (Germany). We filmed in the Thar Desert in Rajasthan, Milk Cooperative Anand, with a Chemical Engineering student in Bangalore, SAP, Jaipur, Mumbai, Rakesh Jhunjhunwala, Kerala, Delhi and Jodhpur. Credits: Presenter: Klaus Kleber Camera: Hartmut Seifert Sound: Peter Ruppert India Line Producer: Sachin Singh

Documentary film on Rising Asian Powers such as India, Taiwan, Singapore and Hongkong. Kadam Films was the line production company for the Indian section. This film was made by ZDF (Germany) We filmed at ISRO, IIT Kharagpur Aeronautical Engineering Department, VSAT school in remote Karnataka, BPO in Kolkutta. Credits: Film by - Klaus-Peter Siegloch and Dietmar Ossenberg Editorial Content- Hilde Bruder-Monath Camera- Jurgen Rapp Sound- Michael Tobia India Line Producer- Sachin Kabir