Lords of Lockdown(2022)
Anxious, out of work and without access to transport during the nationwide COVID-19 lockdown in 2020, migrant labourers in India’s metropolises decided to walk back home to their villages en masse. As news channels beamed heart-rending silhouettes of millions of men, women and children marching along national highways with their meagre belongings, it became plain that the lockdown had already drafted one of the most traumatic chapters in the nation's modern history.
Quick Facts
- Theatrical Release
- 10 May 2022
- Language
- Hindi
- Runtime
- 2h
Storyline
During India's COVID-19 lockdown in 2020, millions of migrant workers lost their jobs and transport. With no other choice, they began walking hundreds of miles to their home villages. This mass exodus, shown on news channels, became one of the most painful events in the country's recent history.
“A nation's long walk home.”
Film Details
Parental Guide
Vibe & Tags
Cast & Crew
Trivia
- The film was shot entirely on smartphones by the director and his small team, capturing raw footage during the lockdown.
- It was filmed without any official permits, as the crew navigated lockdown restrictions to document the migrant crisis.
- The documentary includes real-time social media posts and news clips to show how the crisis unfolded online.
- Director Mihir Fadnavis is primarily known as a film critic, making this his debut feature-length documentary.
- Many scenes feature unscripted interviews with migrants, who shared their stories spontaneously during their journeys.
- The film was independently produced with a minimal budget, relying on crowdfunding and personal resources.
- It premiered at the International Documentary and Short Film Festival of Kerala in 2022 before wider release.