Tales of impregnable and invincible forts stand out in the crisply edited documentary
series on these majestic marvels of India, says Nonika Singh


The vastness and richness of artistic collection in forts
like Bundi render one speechless

WE see the monuments ... we don’t discover them." This may be the lament of noted theatre personality and documentary maker Gurcharan Singh Chani. But as he, along with his son Gyandev Singh, has just completed a 26-part documentary series Bharat Ke Durg on India’s majestic forts, the forts have not only been revealed to him but also, he promises, will be a revelation to the viewers.

"Forts," he insists, "are not just old buildings but a living testimony to our past providing multiple windows to history, culture and life of the people, who once inhabited these priceless fortified cities."

Thus, as they began documenting these rich repositories, the context, the why, where and when became as important as capturing the physical grandeur. Of course, telling the story through what is considered the tedious format of documentary required ingenuity. The easier option of making a docu-drama was quickly dispensed away with, even though the theatre person in Chani might have been tempted. Instead, they employed the local idiom and the folk forms to embellish their films.

For instance, while documenting the forts of Andhra Pradesh, they have used the folk form of Barra Katha to take the narrative forward. At the Golconda fort, the poetic compositions of Quli Qutub Shah came in handy. Besides, the narrative anchored and scripted by Dr Pushpesh Pant and voice over by Vijai Vardhan interweaves interesting sound bytes by art historians and conservationists. Though each fort, they feel, has a fascinating tale to tell, still there must be a few more captivating than the others?

With enthusiasm, Chani talks of the Kumbhalgarh fort in Rajasthan, which has the largest ramparts, next only to the Great Wall of China. Then, Jhansi might be a small fort but no less significant for it was from here that 150 freedom fighters came.

"The Orchha fort in Madhya Pradesh", he reveals "has a cluster of palaces and the Gingee fort in Tamil Nadu covers three hillocks."

Architectural grandeur apart, Chani has been most astounded by the new vision he acquired en route his journey that lasted a year and half, the time it took him to make the series.

Stereotypes began to crumble and suddenly the new facets of erstwhile rulers as connoisseurs of art and music were revealed. Out went many blinkers as he began to look at Aurangzeb with new eyes, who, he realised, was much more than a fanatic despot. Similarly, he found that Raja Man Singh Tomar of Gwalior was an accomplished dhrupad singer.

With the third eye — the camera — wielded most effectively by A. S. Kanal — feasting on the beauty of miniature paintings etched in places beyond the reach of the naked eye, they realised God lies in details. Often, the vastness and richness of artistic collection in some forts like Bundi, Qila Mubarak and Mehrangarh not only rendered them speechless but also perplexed as to what to use and what to omit.

The very first dilemma they faced was which forts to feature. The preliminary list included nearly 150 forts till they zeroed down on nearly 30.

The series does make out a case for the preservation of the forts. The living fort of Jaisalmer that is clearly sinking does perturb Chani, who can’t fathom how people can be so apathetic towards their legacy. He is equally concerned about the one closer home that is Qila Mubarak in Patiala, which he asserts, "Sadly, right now, it seems to be no one’s baby." He, however, doesn’t think it would be a good idea to convert these citadels into swanky tourist destinations.

"That", he squirms, "would close doors to the common man and become an exclusive preserve of the elite." Nor does he think that forts are better off in private hands. He argues, "There is no hard and fast rule. While the privately owned Mehrangarh fort is well-preserved, the one in Bundi is in a dilapidated condition."

Commissioned by Doordarshan to do the series, he says, " As against the widely held belief, it is the commerce-driven private channels, which impose a host of restrictions and have a long list of dos and don’ts. On the contrary, DD had only a few diktats that were valid on ethical grounds and ones that one would refrain from in any case for these could offend viewers’ sensibilities."

"The purpose", they say, in unison, "is to agitate minds to make people watch their legacy come alive and to compel them to own it."

Offering a kaleidoscopic view capturing the panoramic expanse as well as the finer intricacies, the series takes one beyond seeing and what is available.

And above all, it will remind viewers that real lessons of history are not learnt from history books.

He quips, "To know the real Akbar, you have to see Fatehpur Sikri, to understand what Aurangzeb stood for, visit Daulatabad."

And if you can’t travel the length and breadth of India, at least, watch the series that will be soon telecast on DD. For here’s history re-visited in which tales of impregnable and invincible forts come alive in crisply edited and musically attuned language that both informs and engages.

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