Maharashtra: 75-year journey of Laal Pari documented

The 75-year journey of ‘ST Bus’ - which connects Maharashtra and contributes to its development has been captured in a documentary film.

The documentary film, Laal Pari: A Road Fairy covers the pan-Maharashtra travel of the bus.

The ST Bus, as it is commonly known, is run by the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC).

The documentary film has been made by Santoshee Gulabkali Mishra, a Mumbai-based journalist, writer, and filmmaker.

While India is celebrating 75 years of Independence, “Laal Pari” (Red Fairy) too, celebrates its journey of 75 years with people.

“The documentary film depicts the crucial role of public transport in the common person’s life. Maharashtra is the second most populous state in India. The documentary film depicts how the bus has become a boon for the people living in the diversified mountain ranges, hills and plateaus and the longest coastal stretch of 720 km,” Santoshee said.

“For the people, it’s not just transportation. It is life. The film shows people ferrying in ST buses prefer her over the private transport,” she adds.

The documentary painstakingly shows the companionship of the bus to important events in their lives.

It depicts how bus service has successfully connected the disconnected people of the state. It shows the change brought in the lives of the downtrodden and underprivileged sections of society.

The tribal community depending on forest cultivation from Melghat, Nandurbar, Dhule (the critical districts of tribes) can connect with the market because of the bus availability. The film depicts how the matriarchal community has become an integral part of society.

The forest produces from tehsil markets subsequently reaching to pan India and abroad.

The film also talks about rural women empowerment, especially in hamlets, where the role of Laal Pari is implausible.

The women milk peasants, women cultivators, and women working labourers solely relied on the Laal Pari.

“The film shows empowered women in different genres of work. The key factors for this popularity are safety, security and insurance for the travellers. The film also talks about the bus service and its travel in critical topography with the motto of safety and security of passengers, as well as how drivers with the assistance of conductors scan the critical ghats of the state.

Since the ST has multi-layer passengers, therefore the documentary depicts each of them. It shows how the ST service has impacted the education of girls. The state has succeeded in zero school dropouts,” he said.

It highlights how 28 million girls in the state are direct beneficiaries of the free season ticket scheme.

This is the second documentary film by Santoshee, her first documentary film - Mumbai 400008 a story of Pain, Betrayal, and Desperation was premiered in several countries.