Climate Activism in Indian Regional Green Cinema: A Study of Bonani and Wade

The representation of environmental crisis through the medium of celluloid has started gaining primacy throughout the world in the twenty-first century. Popularly referred to as “green cinemas,” these movies undertake an attempt to portray the various types of anthropocentric upheavals that are wreaking havoc on the natural world. At the same time, they also effectively engage in a critical dialogue on ecological justice concerns. In India, green cinemas are still at a nascent stage. Apart from a few documentaries like Shores of Silence (2000), The Weeping Apple (2005), The Man Who Speaks Nature (2018), and The Boy Who Saw More (2019), there has been a lack of attempt to utilize the silver screen to generate awareness about the climate catastrophes. However, in the last two decades, Indian regional films have demonstrated a growing interest in exploring the genre of green cinema. Films like Bonani (1989) in Assamese, Bhoomi Geetha (1997) in Kannada, Urrumatram (2002) in Tamil, Paani (2018) in Marathi, Wade (2020) and The Naxalites (1980) in Bengali, and Kadvi Hawa (2017) and Peepli Live (2010) in Hindi are some of the masterpieces of contemporary Indian green cinemas that have garnered wide critical acclaim. The consciousness that these films create with respect to climate change and grassroot activism in the various corners of the country cannot be overlooked. The paper critically analyzes two such films, Bonani and Wade, with the aim of demonstrating their role in fostering an increased awareness of environmental concerns among the citizens of the nation.