Black Pepper White Pepper - a film by Ishani K Dutta

Black Pepper White Pepper - a film by Ishani K Dutta , Carrot Films , on Indian soldiers at World War 1, is being screened tomorrow at 7 pm at Gulmohar Hall, Habitat Centre. 

Please do attend with your family and friends.

PROJECT SYNOPSIS

BLACK PEPPER, WHITE PEPPER

One hundred years ago, over 1.5 million Indian soldiers fought for the British king in the First World War. Despite showing incredible courage and bravery on the face of death, disease, distance from family and even racial discrimination in distant foreign lands, their contributions have been largely forgotten. This film highlights, through their letters from the trenches and memories of their descendents, how these brave hearts of India helped shape the modern history of mankind.

DIRECTOR’S NOTE

One hundred years ago, Europe went to war, and India, then under the British Raj, soon found itself involved in the line of fire. Close to 1.5 million Indian soldiers served overseas for the First World War, many of them from Indian Army battalions that still survive. All of that is there in the history books – but, interestingly, not much is known or shared about the fate of those Indian soldiers who fought long drawn ardours battles in distant foreign lands and in hostile, unfamiliar conditions. The Indian contingent of ‘brown’ soldiers even faced racial discrimination. Despite all of this, what stands out is their indomitable courage and resilience of spirit. They fought in almost all the theatres of war in Europe, Asia and Africa. Over 75,000 died fighting a war that was technically not even their own. Our film is an attempt to underline to some of those untold stories, of valour, honour, and duty. This is a film about those forgotten heroes, their emotions, longing for home, the horrors and the hopes they encountered and their largely forgotten impact on the shaping of human history.

ISHANI K DUTTA

Director