Jai Bhim Comrade - Filmmaker in person

Jai Bhim Comrade is about the Dalit communities of Mumbai and their participation in the anti-casteism movement founded by B. R. Ambedkar. Ambedkar is an author of the Indian constitution and a spiritual leader to the Dalit people, who lovingly invoke his name with the phrase “Jai Bhim.” On July 11, 1997, inhabitants of the Ramabai community in Mumbai awoke to find that a statue of Ambedkar in their neighborhood had been desecrated. Their peaceful demonstration against this hate crime drew a vicious response from the police. Jai Bhim Comrade opens on a tragic note: Vilas Ghogre, the Dalit poet and singer whose song is heard throughout Bombay, Our City, had committed suicide to protest the brutal killing of ten Dalit demonstrators in Ramabai by the Mumbai police. The documentary that unfolds around this tragedy is not just an unflinching look at the grim reality of caste-based violence but also a celebration of the resilience and ingenuity of Dalit communities. It is a must-see for those seeking to learn about casteism in India and the current state of grassroot resistance to this intractable and insidious form of discrimination.