In Person: Mahishaa on Babasaheb in Bengaluru

Screened as part of the official India selection at the Emami Art Experimental Film Festival (EAEFF) held in Kolkata from 11–14 September 2025, Mahishaa’s short film Babasaheb in Bengaluru (2024) documents the significance of statues and other imagery of Dr BR Ambedkar in the city to reflect on his legacy and message. In this edited conversation, he speaks about his collaborative filmmaking process and approach to form, the treatment of text as image, his relationship with the city of Bengaluru and the necessity of Dalit, Bahujan and Adivasi (DBA) collectivities.

Mahishaa is an Ambedkarite filmmaker based in Bengaluru, working on producing counterculture narratives rooted in the city. His films navigate intersections of caste, gender and masculinity. He is also the founder of Neelavarana, an Ambedkarite artist collective that produces short films, music videos and documentaries focusing on Bahujan stories made by and for the people from the DBA community. Mahishaa’s work has been showcased internationally in places like Melbourne and Berlin as well as across India.

(Featured image: Still from Babasaheb in Bengaluru [2024] by Mahishaa. Image courtesy of the artist and EAEFF.)

Recorded on 13 September 2025.

To learn more about EAEFF 2025, read Ritam Sengupta’s essay on Pinak Banik’s film Obsolete Skygazer - Enlightened Observer - Ignorant Truthseeker - Emaciated Entourage (2025), Santasil Mallik’s engagement with Maha Haj’s Upshot (2024), Vishal George’s reflections on Mohammed Jassim’s Bar Saar (2023) and Ishtayaq Rasool’s observations on Fileona Dkhar’s Ancestral Echoes (2022).

In case you missed the previous episodes of In Person, watch Asmita Pal talk about her film A Very Clear Sunrise (2025), Nimaya Harris discuss her work with the Minnette de Silva archive and Neelika Jayawardane speak about her critical writing practice.