A film on Malasar tribes of Anamalai

Malasar, a six-minute conservation film, narrated by actor Nasser, shows not just the sacred bond between elephants and the Malasar tribes of the Anamalai Hills but also the need to protect the tribes, their identity and conventional wisdom 

What happens to elephants once they are captured? Where do they go? Who takes care of them? What will happen if the “caretakers” and their “conventional” wisdom disappear or lost over a period of time?

Malasar, a six-minute conservation film narrated in Tamil (with English subtitles) by actor Nasser tells the story of the sacred bond that the Malasar tribes of the ancient land of the Anamalai Hills in the Western Ghats of Tamil Nadu share with these majestic beings.

The Kozhikamuthi elephant camp in the Anamalai Tiger Reserve (ATR) near TopSlip is exclusively used to train and discipline captive Asian elephants under the native tribes, who have special skills to work with them. Anaimalai is designated as an ‘anthropological reserve’ as it supports six tribes — Malasar, Malai Malasars, Kadars, Eravallars, Pulayars and Muduvars—which is very unique to Tamil Nadu. It is also probably the only tiger reserve with diverse groups of indigenous people.

“We are Malasars, the elephant people...” begins the film in first person in actor Nasser’s calming voice speaking for 51-year-old Mani. He is a caretaker of Kaleem, a 53-year-old elephant. Mani calls Kaleem his older brother and says “There’s no path we have not trodden in this forest. My ancestors and their elephants have roamed the forests and created the path for us...” The visuals shot in the lush green landscape of ATR are a treat to watch.

“We are doing a series to drive home the key message of conservation,” says Pravin Shanmughanandan, one of the founding members of Pollachi Papyrus that works in the ATR landscape for the past eight years documenting the bio-cultural diversity of the Anamalais. They collaborate with Faraway Original storytellers to tell stories unheard of, of people, the land they live in, its beings and the special connection they share with each other. The first movie was on the Kadar tribes before the pandemic. “The idea is to establish what is intricately their skill or talent and tell an emotional story that the audience can relate to. Because, today we are losing the conventional wisdom of the tribal people at a rapid pace,” explains Pravin.

The film will be first screened at Kozhikamuthi elephant camp for the Malasars. “In the coming days, we have planned multiple screenings across schools and colleges, for corporates and NGOs where we will also talk about the man-animal conflict. What Malasars handle is a language in itself that has no scripture but is passed down the generations. A language that can be learnt only if you are born to a mahout or inside the community.”

Ever since elephants were used to carry timber logs and lay roads, the British chose the Malasars as caretakers of these elephants. The name Top Slip came about because elephants would roll timber logs from the mountain. “The film hopes to touch lives and effect policies for the elephants and their mahouts,” says Pravin