by Beheroze Shroff
DVD (2005)
1) We’re Indian and African
22 min
This documentary explores the lives of the Afro-Indian Sidis of Bava Gor village in Gujarat. The Sidis talk about the challenges of their work as caretakers of the shrine of their ancestral saint Bava Gor. They also discuss their sacred Goma-Dhammal dance as it is performed for devotees and for spectators. The documentary also gives a glimpse into the spiritual legacy of the Sidis through the Parsi devotees of Bava Gor in Bombay.
2) Ancestral Links
26 min
In this entertaining portrait of an urban Sidi family in Bombay, India, the father Babubhai traces his ancestry to Zanzibar, Tanzania. Babubhai’s wife Fatimaben talks about her grandmother who worked in a Hindu royal court. Finally, Heena the daughter talks about issues of identity. Babubhai also discusses his past work as a stuntman in Bollywood films.