City film-maker wins award for film on handloom industry

Raipur: City based documentary film-maker Keya Vaswani made state proud by winning the best promotional film award in 63rd National Film Awards held recently in New Delhi. The movie Weaves of Maheshwar introduces audience to the handloom weavers of Maheswar village located in Madhya Pradesh and highlights the successful business model of handloom industry of Maheshwar village as an inspiring platform for other to flourish in India.
24-year-old Keya said, "Through our lens, we aim to bridge the gap between rural and urban India. My partner Nidhi Kamath, who hails from Baroda, offers insights into various handicraft traditions and discuss what distinguishes them and makes them unique, thus making them more understood in urban India."
They duo have made award winning films on bell metal artisans of Odisha, hand block printing craftspeople of Coromandel Coast, Namda and thread weavers of Benaras to name a few to highlight promising aspects of slowly fading handloom industry and craft.
Hence in Maheshwar village, proper selling in national and international markets have assured regular and fair income to weavers. This has promoted the young generation to carry forward the legacy to another level.
Keya said, "Unlike the weavers of Benaras and other places, weavers of Maheshwar hold confidence in the future of their trade just because they receive the promotional benefits by charitable trust Rehwa Society formed by royal Holkar family in response to revitalize the weaving industry in 1978. In last three years, more than 200 weavers from other parts of India have migrated to Maheshwar due to growing opportunities in handloom enterprises. Rehwa society sells weavers products through high-end exhibitions in metros and the village includes more than 3,000 weavers continuing this craft.
The duo's films have been broadcast in United Kingdom show India Unplugged, apart from winning acclaim at Mumbai Womens International Film fest 2013 and National geographic Short Film Showcase 2015.