What made filmmaker Soudhamini come up with a documentary on river Saraswati — a river that existed during the prehistoric times, a river that nourished the civilisations that thrived along her banks, a river that had witnessed the thriving of the Harappan culture?
“My curiosity about this river transformed into fascination as I started researching about the river, and that has resulted in Nadi Smriti (memories of a river), produced by the Films Division,” says Soudhamini, filmmaker, whose documentaries predominantly focus on the heritage, culture and music of South India, among other themes.
film maker Soudhamini
“For me, it was a positive symbol of feminism. The physical river that originated from the mighty Himalayas, and also the abstract that it represents, was intriguing. The Vedas hail her as the best of mothers, best of rivers and best of goddesses,” she says. Nadi Smriti presents all sides of the story in an unprejudiced manner.
Nadi Smriti was premièred at the symposium, Vahana: Journeys in Cinema with Soudhamini, organised by Goethe-Institut, Chennai, recently. In this documentary, Soudhamini presents us with archaeological, geological and Vedic research findings by scholars, to establish the fact that river Saraswati did exist.
“For geologists, everything is evidence based. The lowest layer of soil in certain areas in the Thar desert has rich minerals, and this proves that the river Saraswati had enriched the landscape she passed through. Similarly, archaeologists have proof that the Harappan civilisation (towns and big cities) thrived along the banks of Saraswati. Vedic scholars present us with numerous references to this mighty river goddess and how she was considered to be the god of knowledge and wisdom.”
The film traverses along the findings, in Soudhamini’s distinctive style of visual narrative. The film’s background score, the Rudra Veena played by Bahauddin Dagar, brings out the grandeur and abstract that the river represents.
Soudhamini has also used a Koodiyattam performance, which depicts the river in various stages of its course. “Saraswati is the metaphor for a woman — a woman who had identity and strength. A perfect symbol of how we don’t need material reality, it is a feminine archetype that has been a source of inspiration. I have only explored the aesthetics associated and kept away from the religious fundamentalism,” she says.
“What is unique about Saraswati is the idea of freedom of spirit that she embodies, and this is represented by the bird, Hamsa, her vahana or the messenger, which can live in water and in air. Just as the Hamsa takes flight, she also did not just endure in her physical existence as a river, but reached another level of existence, and is revered as the ultimate god of knowledge and wisdom,” Soudhamini says. Nadi Smriti , which runs for 58 minutes, leaves you pondering about this Vedic river that no longer exists, our natural resources and the need for protecting our rivers and creating environmental awareness.
