A day in the life of Selina Uttankar. Late morning, heading home
Director: Shaina Anand; Cinematographer: Shaina Anand
Duration: 00:19:46; Aspect Ratio: 1.778:1; Hue: 31.993; Saturation: 0.086; Lightness: 0.473; Volume: 0.068; Cuts per Minute: 58.780; Words per Minute: 26.861
Summary: Footage from the day spent with Selina Uttankar, a native of Manori Village, Mumbai documenting her movement patterns in the city. Traditional Koli occupation. Mid Morning, Selina leaves the fish market and heads back to Malad by train and then to Malad the jetty by bus,. Mumbai.
Fisherwoman Shilu collects empty baskets and prepares to leave the market. Leelu will stay because she still has fish to sell.
Wholesale Fish Market
- What TV Is this?
- It's not for TV? You're leaving? Why?
- My fish is all over so I'm leaving.
- And yours isn't over yet?
- No. Otherwise I would have left with her.
(Marathi)
fish market
leaving
schedule
Elphinstone Road
baskets
fisherwoman
market
Elphinstone, Mumbai
fish
job
livelihood
mobility
motherhood
movement
occupation
portraiture
trade
women
Wholesale Flower Market, Elphinstone
Fisherwoman carrying baskets walks through flower market and along the railway tracks towards the station.
carrying
flower
- How many kilos of fish did you bring?
- 20 kilos.
- And it's all over?
- Yes, it's over.
- How much money did you make?
- Rs. 2000
- Do you always bring 20 kilos or is it more sometimes?
- Sometimes I bring more. Today I brought less than usual. I usually have a lot more on Sundays.
-I am going to come here sometime on a Sunday. I really wanted to buy some fish but I couldn't this time.
(Marathi)
money
railway
selling
station
tracks
Fisherwoman walks onto the platform alongside a passing train
train
Elphinstone Road Station
platform
Shilu tips her basket to drain off excess water onto the tracks and continues to walk on the platform. She stops and puts down her things to wait for her train.
- This is a Borivali train. (Marathi)
basket
tracks
Shilu and Shaina chat while waiting on the platform.
fish
husband
ice
interview
- It looks really good. I'll show you when we're on the train.
- I'll go home, cook and eat. After that I'll rest for a little while and then I'll go back to the sea to buy fish.
- And do you dry the fish as well.
- No no. We are not into that work. There are other people who do that. I buy fresh fish and take it to the market to sell.
- So what time will you go to buy the fish?
- At 2 o'clock. Then I'll take it home, put it on ice, and then I'll take it in the morning to sell.
- To sell where?
- Here or since tomorrow is Thursday and on Thursdays I don't come here, I'll go to the Malad market.
- Who brings the fish from the sea?
- There are others who do that.
- What does your husband do?
- He does service.
schedule
work
The train arrives and Shilu boards the luggage compartment, puts away her basket and sits down.
basket
fisherwoman
train
Western Railway
luggage compartment
Travel shot of train passing under bridge, and another train going south.
bridge
travel shot
Local Train
Luggage Compartment
Western Railway
Shilu seated in compartment, Closeup of arm with the day's accounts written in pen.
accounts
arm
closeup
compartment
fisherwoman
Travel shot of passing train.
train
travel shot
Crowded compartment with men standing and sitting. Man thinking quietly.
compartment
crowded
Shilu puts the basket on her head, and gets off the train.
train
fisherwoman
-Are you going to take a bus now?
- Yes, the bus to Marve.
- Where is the bus stop?
- It's two minutes walking.
- What did you buy? Tea?
- Yes, tea.
(Marathi)
Shilu exits Malad station and walks through a crowded road. She stops at a shop to buy tea.
buy
crowded
road
shop
tea
Malad Station
Shilu enters and exits a covered vegetable market. She sees her BEST bus and runs towards it. She enters the bus and sits down in the last seat.
- Is that you bus?
(Marathi)
vegetable
vegetable market
best
bus
BEST bus. Conductor (ticket collector) standing at the end of the aisle.
aisle
conductor
ticket
best bus
Shilu travels on BEST bus
- This bus goes from Malad station to where?
- From Malad station to Marve.
- How long does it take?
- About 25 minutes.
- And how long does the train take from Elphinstone to Malad?
- Half an hour.
- And the boat?
- Now we'll take the 11:10 boat. If we miss that one then we'll have to take the 11:30 boat. The boats come every 15 minutes.
- And how long does it take?
- 5 minutes
- And Marve to Malad by road? One-hour/
- No half an hour.
- Oh Im sorry. I meant Marve to Manori. If one doesn't take the boat and has to go by road how long does it take?
- There is no road. You have to take the boat.
(Marathi)
boat
elphinstone road
malad
manori
timetable
train
travel
fisherwoman
Malad-Marve Road
Shilu travels on BEST bus
Manori
Naigaon
Vasai
Versova
Worli
- Are you tired?
- Yes, very.
- So in total you took only 6 months leave.
- Yes.
- You went to the market till you were 7 months pregnant?
- No, until I was 6 months pregnant.
- So you came with your big stomach, carrying the heavy basket and all.
- Yes. Everyone at home told me not to go but I still went.
- Why?
- Because I like to work. I get bored at home.
- The fish market is really amazing. And the Marathi womenare really efficient. How long have you been going to this market?
- Eight years.
- Because they told me that you are the only three who go there from Manori.
- And others come from other villages like Versova, Worli, Naigaon, Vasai.
fishing villages
maharashtrian
pregnancy
work
Malad
Shilu buys a bus ticket from the conductor. Offers prayers to a cross on the road.
buys
christianity
conductor
cross
prayers
religion
ticket
ticket collector
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