Water Bearers: A Tale of Sacrifice and Survival

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"'No Water Land' is a powerful documentary unveiling the struggles of rural Indian girls forced to sacrifice their education and childhood for water collection, aiming to raise global awareness about their plight.

"Childhood is a time to relish life's pleasures and gain knowledge at school. However, in several regions of India, girls at a young age bear the responsibility of gathering water for their families. This duty deprives them of their carefree innocence and hinders their education, which is crucial for holistic development. The upcoming documentary film, 'No Water Land', portrays the grim reality of such innocent girls in rural India.

The acclaimed Director Saumitra Singh and storyteller Abhi Raj Sharma have collaborated with producer Shaz Memon to create 'No Water Land'. The film reveals the challenging lives of girls forced to make a choice between sustaining their families and receiving education for a promising future.

Director Saumitra Singh announced the title of his documentary project 'No Water Land', which brings to light the inspiring true story of UK-based philanthropist Shaz Memon. His charity organization 'Wells on Wheels' is tirelessly committed to the welfare and education of young girls in Maharashtra who are denied basic education due to their role in water collection.

Shaz Memon, the producer of the documentary, notes, "Every child has a dream, but not all get the chance to chase those dreams. I aim to change this for all the young girls in rural India who are unjustly stuck in a ceaseless cycle of collecting water. Their sacrifice is not just a loss of childhood and potential health problems but a requirement they cannot avoid due to their circumstances. This means they often have to forgo their education, which is a significant burden on any innocent young child."

Saumitra Singh, the director, said, "I was deeply affected after learning about the agonizing experiences of these young girls who have to walk 3-4 kilometres twice a day, balancing heavy pots on their heads to collect water for their families. These duties have distanced them from education and typical growth activities. What's more shocking is that all this is happening only 150 kilometers away from a bustling city like Mumbai. This situation moved me to share their stories globally."

Saumitra and his crew have completed the location survey for the shoot, and now the project is in the pre-production phase. Saumitra is thankful to Sanjay Kapoor for his referral and his role as the brand ambassador for 'Wells on Wheels'. He said, "I've recently finished a feature film with Sanjay, sir, and I'm grateful to him for including me in this social project. I'm fortunate to have Shaz Memon's guidance and the support of the 'Wells on Wheels' team from Nashik. Their work is remarkable."

Shaz Memon's NGO 'Wells on Wheels' will co-produce the documentary with Shukar Studios and Shiprartz, with Saumitra Singh directing it. Hasan Khan joins the project as an Executive Producer. Abhi Raj Sharma has assumed the task of structuring the documentary around the girls' predicament.

Director Saumitra Singh, who has previously teamed up with Naseeruddin Shah on his award-winning short film 'The Wallet', is also awaiting the launch of his next films 'Taxi No 24' featuring Mahesh Manjrekar and 'The House of Lies' with Sanjay Kapoor.

Abhi Raj Sharma, the director of Shiprartz and the documentary's writer, expressed his gratitude for contributing to this noble cause. He said, "I co-founded this company with my partners Amaninder Singh and Manbir Sandhu to produce narratives deeply ingrained in India. However, I never envisioned that we would be telling this poignant tale of young girls forced to pick between survival and education."

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