By Hindustan Times
Veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah and comedian Jaaved Jaffrey have joined hands to support the documentary The Rat Race, in accordance with Mumbai’s Rat Killers. On the preview of the internationally acclaimed documentary, Naseer says, “What fiction can’t do to assist a social cause, a documentary can.”
He adds that, though he was an enormous a part of the 70’s new wave movement in Indian cinema, even today 40 of his films remain in cans, never to be released. “It is hard to make films- even bad ones as they want time, money and effort. I'M REALLY NOT sure if the audience makes a connection between fiction and their very own reality via commercial films. Documentaries are real and tough to run clear of. They reflect today’s society. Few filmmakers who make documentaries out of choice. We surely need films that reflect our times otherwise if someone were to appear up films in 2012, 10 years from now, perhaps all they'd find is films like Housefull 2!”
Jaaved, who launched the Indian Documentary Foundation, is hopeful that they are able to sustain this effort to get more documentaries into the general public space and in commercial theatres. Director Miriam Chandy Menacherry, took two years to document the stories of rat killers who set out with sticks and feature to bring 30 dead rats daily to earn their Rs11,000 wage monthly. “Although the film captivated an audience in Cannes after which premiered to packed cinemas in Amsterdam, however it is here in my very own country that I WOULD LIKE the film seen,” she exclaims. The Rat Race will release in association with PVR and massive Cinemas on April 20 in PVR across Mumbai, Bengaluru and Delhi and in Big Cinemas in Mumbai.
The Rat Race
There are 33 Night Rat Killers (NRK) in Mumbai who kill using a stick. They earn Rs11,000 dependent on collection and account for above 80 per cent of the bandicoot rats killed by BMC in comparison to trapping and poisoning. 2000 candidates applied for 30 vacant posts of NRK last year. They got strength and speed tests. Many NRKs are graduates who see it because the first step in becoming a central authority officer. They need to pass an exam in order that after three years of service they may be able to apply for the post of Sanitation Inspector.
