Taaza Khabar: Kavita covering elections - Part 1
Director: Bishakha Datta; Cinematographer: Ranu Ghosh
Duration: 00:17:55; Aspect Ratio: 1.333:1; Hue: 65.276; Saturation: 0.034; Lightness: 0.315; Volume: 0.202; Cuts per Minute: 5.804
Summary: Part of the footage of the film Taaza Khabar directed by Bishakha Datta and produced by Nirantar. The film is about the journey of a team of all women journalists of Khabar Lahariya (a grassroots newspaper published by the women themselves) through several obstacles. The determined efforts are to ensure the 62nd issue of Khabar Lahariya reaches its readers on time. The women are from Chitrakoot district in U.P. who report stories that find no space in mainstream media. It also portrays how these women have created their own space and established their identity in a context where patriarchy and caste-based discriminations are dominant. In this event, one of the journalists, Kavita, covers the elections happening in the area and is trying to find out the status of the poll results by visiting the venue and interacting with various people on the way.
Kavita, a rural journalist with Khabar Lahariya, tries to get the results of the Gram Panchayat elections (The Gram panchayats are local self-governments at the village or small town level in India. It is the foundation of the Panchayat system, which is a system of local governance in the Indian subcontinent). She walks through a busy and crowded street, where there are mostly men. While walking, she tries to find the way to the venue where the election polls are taking place. Announcements can be heard on loudspeakers, as she tries to get past the crowd by pushing her way through, asking the men to make space for her.
Karwi, Chitrakoot
ahead, announcement, loudspeaker, gram panchayat
women, public space, crowd, men, noise, street, cycle bells, election, count, way
Kavita enters a gate and asks the police where she needs to go. She finds out that the venue is further ahead and starts to walk down the street, writing notes on the way. The streets are now no longer crowded. The announcements echo in the background. Kavita enters an open ground, where there are several men, including policemen, sitting in groups. She finds her way to the entrance of the hall where the polls are taking place. A policeman asks her about her identity and she asserts herself as a journalist.
manch, journalist,
She enters the hall, which is filled with the chatter of men who are standing and looking over a long line of counters. Kavita is prevented from entering a particular section of the hall by the police. She persuades the policeman and is eventually given permission to enter. After she makes her way in, she makes enquiries at the desk.
The hall is filled with activity, with loud chatter and interactions. Men seated around tables are seen counting and arranging green sheets of paper.
Kavita takes the interview of one of the women candidates who is sitting outside. She asks her how she feels after winning the election and about the history of her political participation. When the lady is called to go back inside, Kavita ensures that she gets the answer to her question, before letting her go.
Kavita leaves the hall and talks to men sitting outside, making enquiries of whether she can meet someone from Bharatkoop (Bharatkoop is located a few kilometres from Chitrakoot, a district in the state of Uttar Pradesh where Khabar Lahariya was started). A male politician comes to her and asks her if she could write about something in the newspaper, and narrates to her about the mike being inaudible during announcements, creating problems as a result. Kavita writes down the details in her notebook and starts to walk away.
seat, women, victory, pradhan, reelection, find, village, Bharatkoop, Ranipur, field of work, ,
mike, samajwadi, neta, khabar lahariya, interview, find
Kavita walks outside the gate, and talks to more people, asking them about the results of the election.
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