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{{Short description|2019 musical documentary}}
{{italic title}}
'''''In Search of Bidesia''''' is a 2019 musical [[documentary film]] directed by [[Mumbai]]-based filmmaker Simit Bhagat. The film is about the culture and history of the [[Bhojpuri language|Bhojpuri]] [[folk tradition]] known as "Bidesia" music, connecting it to the history of [[indentured labourers]] in the Bhojpuri region.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last=Prakash |first=Brahma |date=2023-01-02 |title=In search of Bidesia: Documentary, directed by Simit Bhagat, 2019 |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17411912.2023.2193827 |journal=Ethnomusicology Forum |language=en |volume=32 |issue=1 |pages=155–158 |doi=10.1080/17411912.2023.2193827 |issn=1741-1912|url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Bhagat |first=Simit |date=2024-08-13 |title='Yesterday, my dear departed for Calcutta' |url=https://www.themigrationstory.com/post/yesterday-my-dear-departed-for-calcutta |access-date=2024-10-10 |website=The Migration Story |language=en}}</ref>

== Production ==
Bhagat's inspiration for the film emerged from a visit to a Bhojpuri-speaking village in [[Uttar Pradesh]], where he encountered a community of musicians deeply entrenched in folk traditions.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |date=2018-11-20 |title=Simit Bhagat's In Search of Bidesia is a poignant narrative of longing, pain and separation |url=https://www.firstpost.com/entertainment/simit-bhagats-in-search-of-bidesia-is-a-poignant-narrative-of-longing-pain-and-separation-5581391.html |access-date=2024-10-04 |website=Firstpost |language=en-us}}</ref>

The production of ''In Search of Bidesia'' involved Bhagat's two-week motorcycle journey in 2017 across the [[Uttar Pradesh]]-[[Bihar]] region, where he met with local artists, recorded their songs, and documented their stories.<ref name=":3" /> Many of the recordings were spontaneous and took place in natural settings such as temples, fields, and riversides.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |date=2019-07-07 |title=In search of Birha |url=https://lifestyle.livemint.com/news/talking-point/in-search-of-birha-111641556936428.html |access-date=2024-10-10 |website=Mintlounge |language=en}}</ref> Bhagat also visited the [[The National Archives (United Kingdom)|National Archives in London]] to research the history of indentured labour, source original photos and meet the descendants of these workers.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Iyengar |first=Shriram |title=In Search Of Bidesia traces the roots and traditions of Bhojpuri music of migration |url=https://www.cinestaan.com/articles/2020/feb/5/23932/in-search-of-bidesia-traces-the-roots-and-traditions-of-bhojpuri-music-of-migration |access-date=2024-10-04 |website=Cinestaan}}</ref>

The documentary resulted in the establishment of Simit Bhagat's larger initiative, The Bidesia Project, which aims to document folk music and marginalised voices in northern India.<ref name=":2" />

== Plot ==
The documentary centres on the concept of the "Bidesia", which is an affectionate term for someone who migrates to a distant place, often for economic reasons.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Tiwari |first=Badri Narayan |title=Bidesia: Migration, Change, and Folk Culture |url=https://www.iias.asia/sites/default/files/2020-11/IIAS_NL30_12.pdf |journal=International Institute for Asian Studies Newsletter |volume=30 |issue=Spring 2003}}</ref> Migration has long been a defining feature of the social and economic fabric of the Bhojpuri-speaking region.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |title=IIAS Newsletter 30 Spring 2003 {{!}} IIAS |url=https://www.iias.asia/the-newsletter/newsletter-30-spring-2003 |access-date=2024-10-04 |website=www.iias.asia}}</ref> Especially during the colonial era when large numbers of indentured labourers from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh were sent to [[British Colonies|British colonies]] such as the [[Caribbean]], [[Fiji]], and [[Mauritius]].<ref name=":1">{{Cite news |last=Mukherjee |first=Anusua |date=2021-07-17 |title=Several archives now seek to preserve folk music that connects people to their past |url=https://www.thehindu.com/society/several-archives-now-seek-to-preserve-folk-music-that-connects-people-to-their-past/article35356410.ece |access-date=2024-10-04 |work=The Hindu |language=en-IN |issn=0971-751X}}</ref>

Bhagat begins his journey in [[Uttar Pradesh]], where he meets Kailash Mishra, a Bhojpuri [[folk singer]]. The narrative continues with interviews and performances by other folk artists such as Saraswati Devi and Gopal Maurya, who share their experiences of migration through their music.<ref name=":4" /> These songs highlight themes of separation, longing, and the hardships faced by [[Migrant worker|migrant labourers]] and their families.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Foundation |first=Thomson Reuters |title=India's colonial slave songs remembered in digital archive |url=https://news.trust.org/item/20200729135807-taopb/ |access-date=2024-10-04 |website=news.trust.org}}</ref> This folk tradition is survived by folk musicians like Kailash Mishra, Gopal Maurya, Saraswati Devi and Ajay Mishra.<ref name=":3" /> At 92 years old, Saraswati Devi, sings Jatsaar songs, typically sung by women during grain grinding<ref name=":3" />

The film also traces the legacy of Mahendra Mishra, a folk musician from rural Bihar who, as mentioned in the ''[[Al Jazeera]]'', contributed to [[Indian independence movement|India's fight for independence]] by printing fake currency to fund revolutionaries.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Desai |first=Shail |title=Indian folk icon who also printed fake notes to fight the British |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2020/7/23/indian-folk-icon-who-also-printed-fake-notes-to-fight-the-british |access-date=2024-10-04 |website=Al Jazeera |language=en}}</ref>

== The Bidesia Project ==
The Bidesia Project, led by Simit Bhagat, is an initiative for preserving and promoting Bhojpuri folk music.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Simit Bhagat: preservare la musica popolare di Bhojpuri e rendere popolare il genere della migrazione |url=https://globalindian-com.translate.goog/it/story/global-indian-exclusive/simit-bhagat-bhojpuri-folk-music-in-search-of-bidesia/?_x_tr_sl=it&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=sc |access-date=2024-10-10 |website=The Global Indian |language=it}}</ref> The project seeks to provide visibility to folk artists. As part of the initiative, The Bidesia Project produces music videos and showcases the work of Bhojpuri folk musicians.<ref name=":1" />

== Reception ==
The documentary holds a rating of 7.5 out of 10 on [[MUBI]], based on 127 reviews.<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://mubi.com/en/in/films/in-search-of-bidesia |title=In Search of Bidesia (2019) {{!}} MUBI |language=en |access-date=2024-10-04 |via=mubi.com}}</ref> According to ''[[Firstpost]]'', "In Search of Bidesia" is "a poignant narrative of longing, pain, and separation."<ref name=":3" /> The film was lauded as "the most outstanding film about music/sound in the world" at the RAI Film Festival in the UK in 2021, as noted by ''[[The Hindu]]''.<ref name=":1" />

The film was screened at various film festivals in India and abroad. A 10-minute excerpt was showcased at the panel discussion Lest We Forget: Descendants of Indenture at the Bangalore Literature Festival in 2018, which focused on the journey of indentured labourers, their descendants, and the challenge of lost identities and histories.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Lest We Forget – Descendants of Indenture - BLF 2018 Reports - Bangalore Literature Festival (BLF) |url=https://bangaloreliteraturefestival.org/lest-we-forget-descendants-of-indenture/ |access-date=2024-10-04 |website=bangaloreliteraturefestival.org}}</ref> The musical documentary was also screened at the 18th Dhaka International Film Festival in 2020.<ref name=":6">{{Cite news |title=Indian docu portraying songs of separation at Dhaka fest |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/indian-docu-portraying-songs-of-separation-at-dhaka-fest/articleshow/73209337.cms |access-date=2024-10-10 |work=The Times of India |issn=0971-8257}}</ref>

The documentary is notable for its efforts to preserve Bhojpuri folk traditions, particularly at a time when these traditions face the threat of fading away.<ref name=":1" /> According to an article in ''[[Thomson Reuters]]'', ''In Search of Bidesia'' offers a "poignant commentary on the resilience of marginalised communities and the enduring power of music as a form of resistance and identity."<ref name=":0" />

A review on ''Ethnomusicology Forum'' praised the film, saying "what makes the documentary stand out is the unique way it interweaves ethnography, memories and experience to create a scenario. The director allows the subjects and actors to speak without providing them with specific orientations or directions, which gives the impression of the director simply travelling through the landscape."<ref name=":0" />

According to ''The Migration Story'', "These traditional genres have been integral to the cultural fabric of the wider Bhojpuri-speaking region. We need to safeguard this legacy and ensure that it continues to enrich future generations with its unique stories and melodies."<ref name=":2" />

== Recognition ==

* Best Music Documentary Award, Royal Anthropological Institute Film Festival, UK, 2021<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ethnomusicology Film Award |url=https://therai.org.uk/awards/past-awards/ethnomusicology-film-award |access-date=2024-10-04 |website=Royal Anthropological Institute |language=en-gb}}</ref>
* Official Selection at the 18th Dhaka International Film Festival, 2020<ref name=":6" />
* Official Selection at the Nepal Human Rights International Film Festival, 2020<ref>{{Cite web |title=OFFICIAL SELECTIONS {{!}} Nepal Human Rights International Film Festival |url=https://nhriff.hrfilms.org/home-page-2/nhriff-2020/official-selection-2020/ |access-date=2024-10-04 |website=nhriff.hrfilms.org}}</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:2019 documentary films]]
[[Category:2019 films]]

In Search of Bidesia - Revision history

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