Somnath Waghmare on Chaityabhumi, Dalit Representation in Cinema, and Cultural Assertion

The Hindu

28-04-2025

Published : Apr 28, 2025 14:55 IST - 6 MINS READ
Somnath Waghmare, a young researcher and filmmaker, is best known for his documentary Chaityabhumi (on MUBI) that explores a place called Chaityabhumi where Babasaheb Ambedkar was laid to rest in Dadar, Mumbai. The film explores the Ambedkarite movement while marking the death anniversary of Ambedkar when people gather at Chaityabhumi from all over India.
The son of a mill worker, Waghmare is from Malawadi village in Maharashtra's Sangli district. He completed his bachelor's at a Marathi medium college in Islampur, then moved to Pune, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and back to Mumbai, where he completed his MPhil from Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) and is now writing his PhD thesis. Waghmare spoke to Frontline about how cinema, media, and academia are highly Brahminical spaces; the influence of Dalit literature and US Black literature; and his appreciation of artists 'who are very strong with their identity'. Excerpts:
When did you first visit Chaityabhumi and how did it impact you?
As a Maharashtrian Neo Buddhist, the Ambedkarite discourse is a part of my childhood memories. I remember visiting Chaityabhumi as a child; this is a part of my culture. There are few Dalit history sites that people regularly visit, like Bhima Koregaon, Chaityabhumi, Diksha Bhumi, Mahad and Mangaon in Kolhapur district, where Shahu Maharaj and Babasaheb had the first 'untouchable' conference.
When I studied media, I realised cinema and media and academia are highly Brahminical spaces. They are ignoring and deleting our stories. I decided to tell our stories from our own perspective. That's the journey from childhood memory to making a film on Chaityabhumi.
So, there is ignorance in the so-called mainstream media about the Ambedkar discourse. Is that the reason Chaityabhumi became a film?
As a researcher I feel whenever people from non-Dalit backgrounds make films on Dalit stories, they show them as victims. Within that there's another pattern: the saviour Brahmin heroes in those films. I wanted to break that narrative and tell the normal life of Dalits.
Chaityabhumi is an interesting space where lakhs of people visit. People are aware that Ambedkar is not a god. This is a space where people are creating a counterculture against the Brahminical caste system. I wanted to tell that story.
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In your film we see Rahul Sonpimpale speaking about public spaces in the context of Chaityabhumi, a shared space. The camera then pans to slushy grounds and tarpaulin tents. Could you explain this juxtaposition?
That scene I recorded in 2017. The film is not just about Ambedkarite culture, it's also a critique of public space. People from the dominant caste, who are actually a minority of this country, think all public spaces in India are their own property. There is huge hatred for the December 6 gathering, also a contribution of our English media.
Before 2018, reports focused on traffic jams. Then the media criminalised the Chaityabhumi gatherings. Book sales are around Rs.10 crore: This is the biggest literature festival, with almost 2,000 to 3,000 book stalls in Shivaji Park on December 6. That scene is a critique of public space politics.
The iconography of Ambedkar in your film includes posters, calendars, and statues; the film is a tribute to Babasaheb. But Babasaheb himself was against the idea of worship. Could you comment on the iconisation of Babasaheb through your film?
People are very aware that Ambedkar is not a god. Those who visit Chaityabhumi are also very aware. If you see Pranjali Kureel's interview in the film, she clearly explains what this means. Buying these things is nothing but the Ambedkar discourse.
Tell us more about your identity as a Dalit Buddhist filmmaker.
I never hide my social identity. Savarnas never hide their identity: The oppressor doesn't feel scared, so why should we? In India everything is dependent on your caste identity. My identity is important because if Chaityabhumi was made by a non-Dalit, what would that film be? I learnt these things from Dalit literature and Black literature and artists who have a strong sense of identity. My identity is very important to me, that's why I'm making these films.
'When you have an insider's perspective, it comes with responsibility. It's emotional, but it's also a political responsibility to portray your people's story in a dignified way.'Somnath WaghmareDirector of documentary Chaityabhumi
Your film portrays both emotional and political dimensions of Mahaparinirvan Diwas...
When you are an insider to a film, it's very emotional. This wasn't a one-day shoot: I worked on this project for almost four years. I observed the extreme poverty of Indian Scheduled Castes. If you visit Shivaji Park on December 1 or 6, you will see the economic status of Scheduled Castes, whose population is around 25 to 30 crore in India. When you have an insider's perspective, it comes with responsibility. It's emotional, but it's also a political responsibility to portrayyour people's story in a dignified way.
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Your cultural assertion is through music, literature and public performances. Why was it important to highlight these forms of expression?
The Dalit movement is now everywhere: This month people celebrate Ambedkar Jayanti as Dalit History Month in the US, Canada, Australia and the UK. Music is a very important tool for the Dalit movement. Ambedkarite singer Wamndada Kardak, who wrote 2,500 songs on Ambedkar.
This is a very crowded place in the heart of Mumbai. How did you manage to navigate during filming?
I got permission from the Ambedkar family and from the Buddhist Society of India. Several politicians visit. It's difficult to enter but our team had Buddhist society pass that way. It's a little bit easy to shoot this political gathering.
How do you see this film contributing to the anti-caste movement and conversations?
Because of this film I visited the US three times and went to Germany and the UK. We've screened the film in public spaces in India, in Delhi, Bengaluru, Mumbai and many educational institutions. We got a good response. And I think this film is an important digital document for understanding the cultural assertion of the Dalit movement.
At the end of the film, Prakash Ambedkar speaks for a long time. Don't you think there is a danger of politicising the film?
What's wrong with that? As a filmmaker, I have the right to show what I want. Prakash Ambedkar appears in the film as an advisor of The Buddhist Society of India, not as a political leader. I avoided political party stages in film.
That Buddhist society stage is very historical. It's a culture of December 6 that the event ends with his speech as an advisor. Previously his mother Meeratai Ambedkar gave the speech, and before that his father Yashwant Ambedkar.
My last question is about the Ambedkarite movement. The way it is now, fragmented, despite Ambedkar's message to 'unite and then fight.' How do you see this?
My observation is completely different. Politically, the Ambedkarite movement is weak now, I agree. But you can't judge any movement just by its electoral success. You need to visit JNU, visit TISS, visit IITs, visit any campus in India now and even abroad and you will find that Ambedkarite groups are growing.
The fragmentation exists because now the right-wing government is in power. I'm very positive because I'm not judging any movement's success by its electoral success. If you watch their influence in academia, cinema and media, they are very active in other forms. They fail in electoral politics because of a caste-based society: non-Dalits are not supporting Dalit parties and it's also a connection with the Poona Pact.