Documentary looks at ‘loss’ of the Shimla Ridge

Shiv Kumar
Tribune News Service
Mumbai, April 29

A Mumbai-based documentary film-maker on a mission to save the Shimla Ridge for the local children has produced a 21-minute docu-drama shot entirely on an iPhone.

“The Ridge, as it is known, is the only available playing area for children. It is now being taken over for a variety of social functions and political rallies,” says the documentary film-maker Vivek Mohan. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s rally was recently held at the Ridge.

Mohan notes that shopping complexes and buildings are coming up in Shimla, but playgrounds and parks are nowhere on the agenda of the planners.

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Mohan, who grew up in Shimla, likens the Ridge to Mumbai’s Shivaji Park which too is under pressure from politicians and the public alike. “SOS: Shivaji Park of Shimla”, as the documentary is called, attempts to contrast its originally sylvan surroundings with the pressures of modern-day living. The early-morning shots of the Ridge capture the chirping of birds while the footage from the later part of the day is contrast of every-day sounds of a crowded neighbourhood.

The documentary shot over several months shows the problems faced by children in accessing the Ridge for playing. Children complain about policemen snatching their bicycles and chasing them away when they are at play. The documentary clearly highlights how the police monitor the Ridge via CCTVs and then descend on the children when they gather there to play.

The filmmaker has now created a dedicated Facebook Group called “SOS: Shivaji Park of Shimla” to gather support for setting up a play area for the children of Shimla.