Every year on April 14 and December 6, lakhs of visitors across India register their presence at Chaithyabhoomi, the cremation site of Dr BR Ambedkar in Mumbai’s Dadar area, to pay respects to their leader and revisit his works on his birth and death anniversary. Adjacent to the city’s well-known Dadar chowpatty, Chaithyabhoomi is one of the places significant to understanding Bahujan history and Ambedkar’s life in Bombay, but has never been offered a prime space in the popular art and film records of the mainstream media’s documentation of the city’s culture.

Filmmaker Somnath Waghmare, through his upcoming documentary film ‘Chaithybhumi’, envisions throwing spotlight on the memorial’s presence. The film will bring to the fore diverse aspects of the site, while exploring its cultural and literary vibrancy and the memory of its legacy in the minds of those who seek joy, hope and a sense of belonging in its shelter. While the space remains open throughout the year, Waghmare’s film focuses on the events during the December 6 gathering that paints the city blue for several days.