I first chanced upon the film Matsyanyaya on a WhatsApp group talking about an upcoming screening of the film. It was the name that caught my attention — Matsya I knew meant fish and Nyaya, justice. Fish justice? I may have been right about the word-for-word translation, but I was completely wrong about the innate meaning. Because when you watch the film, you will see that there is no justice at all. The filmmaker was referring to the “law of the fish”, a term used in Indian political philosophy which refers to a condition of chaos, wherein the strong will devour the weak. There is another analogy that is more literal and speaks about the time of drought, when the larger fish will eat the smaller ones, the strong will eat the weak; much like what development projects around India are doing to the natural landscape, culture, tribal communities and the overall ecosystem of the country.

Hrutika Patole refers to herself as an indie filmmaker. While she admits that the last decade or more has been about client projects for her, she plans to change this with Matsyanyaya.

A film by chance

“My original idea was not to make this film the way it is; it was to capture the countryside and the villages to display a stark contrast with life in the city, to show varying landscapes,” says Patole, when asked about how the idea of making this film came to her. When she started shooting within the city, she came across urgent stories of lost livelihoods and vanishing cultures that she felt compelled to tell. “In Pune, where I live, I have seen spaces transform and places I loved in my childhood are now gone.” Patole’s story is not hers alone, it is the story of many of us who have, in due passage of time, gone back to spaces we spent time in when we were younger, only to find them replaced by concrete jungles. She has succeeded in doing what she set out to do in the first place, which was to show the glaring differences in landscapes of the city and the outskirts — the film brings these out very clearly. At the same time, Patole says that this film has helped her share her personal sense of loss and longing. I completely resonate with her, also experiencing this same sense of a time gone by even when I drive past the rental home I lived in, a mere three years ago because there are so many new buildings that have now come up in an area that was once a vast meadow.

Of livelihoods lost

The film opens with a quote on a black background, “At the end of Kali-yuga, twelve suns shining together and bringing great heat followed by torrential rain, will destroy the human race and all other creatures as well. O king of Vraja, the earth will exist in name alone. (Brahmavaivarta PurANa 4.89.62-63)”, quickly setting the tone for what’s about to come. A view of the city, first aerial, then a look at a large bridge, then a wide shot of many buildings and a helicopter flying by. We see the concretisation that has taken over the city changing parts that previously looked very different.

First, we visit the Versova jetty in Mumbai where a fisherman laments that there are no fish in the sea, and that many people have lost their livelihoods — fishing was the only thing they knew how to do well. The conversation here refers to the bridges that have been built in the sea all over Mumbai to ensure better connectivity but the environmental impact and the impact to the traditional fishing communities along the coast was completely ignored. A man talks about the paradox of development wherein the government takes the land and the source of livelihood from the common man and then attempts to convince them that all that they are building is for them, the people.

Of homes and cultures lost

In the next part of the film, once again we see aerial shots of a space that once may have been beautiful — the Hasdeo forest. The Hasdeo Arand is a massive stretch of dense forests in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh. We are shown aerial shots of forest and then vast expanses of mud. We hear a lady’s voice talking about how they used to be able to collect Mahua, a local flower used to make tribal liquor and other products, that they could sell for $595 (Rs 50,000) before the mines changed everything. This part of the film shows the destruction caused by the massive coal mines that have come up in this area and destroyed the homes of these people. The people of the village are angry about the mines. As the mines expand, those living in the surrounding areas have no choice but to pack up their bags and leave, with no sense of stability in their lives.

As the film comes to an end, a sense of foreboding sets in, of what will happen if this rampant development does not slow down. The film is 15 minutes long but moves slowly, allowing one to sit still and feel every single uncomfortable feeling that it brings. In this film, the filmmaker takes us on a journey to face her own pain of change and devastation of the natural environment around her and in this process comes across landscapes and tribal communities that are deeply affected by the growing urbanisation in the country.

For now, the film has a controlled release and is only being released at certain venues, but Patole is working on sending the film to multiple festivals. So far, the film has been showing at small venues and intimate gatherings in India with the first screening being held in Himachal Pradesh and the last one for the year in Goa. Screenings are likely to resume post April 2025.

While currently the film has been watched largely by environmentalists and people more inclined to the topic, it is an artistic route to the general public becoming aware of the problem.

I come away thinking that there are two kinds of people in the world — those that think development is a boon and those that think it is a curse and the time has come to decide which side we stand on.

The author is a Goa-based independent writer who writes about climate change, sustainability and social entrepreneurship. She also consults with NGOs and social enterprises in the environmental space.

Banner image: Behind the scenes at Versova jetty.  The film takes viewers to the jetty in Mumbai where a fisherman laments that there are no fish in the sea, and that many people have lost their livelihoods — fishing was the only thing they knew how to do well. Image courtesy of Hrutika Patole.

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Aditi Tandon Senior Production Editor

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Cities and TownsEnvironmentGovernanceIndigenous PeoplesPeopleIndia

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