Community spirit

Rhythm of Dammam opens a window to the world of African-origin Siddis of Uttara Kannada

- NIRMAL JOVIAL

The sorrowful eyes of 12-year-old Jayaram Siddi are a gateway to the labyrinth of historical trauma of men and women displaced from Africa and brought to the Indian subcontinent as slaves. His nightmares and daydreams are haunted by surreal visions of oppression, echoes of whacks and anguished cries of his ancestors. Jayaram, portrayed by Chinmaya Siddi from Uttara Kannada's Siddi community, whose ancestors were likely victims of the Portuguese slave trade, is the protagonist of Rhythm of Dammam.

Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Jayan Cherian, the film was screened in the competition section of the recently concluded International Film Festival of Kerala and earned a special jury mention for Chinmaya's captivating performance.The film, a first-of-its-kind in India, explores the life, culture and rituals of the largely overlooked African-origin Siddi community of Uttara Kannada. And, according to Mohan Siddi, a scholar and social worker who has also acted in the film, this is the first time that a prominent film festival award has come the community's way.

The film follows the journey of Jayaram, who gets 'possessed' by the spirit of his recently deceased grandfather Rama Bantu Siddi. Post Rama's death, Jayaram's father and uncle are fighting over the little land they have and the 'treasure' that has been protected by his ancestors.

However, Jayaram gets chosen by the ancestral spirits as the successor.

Cherian is known for films such as Papilio Buddha (2013), which addresses caste oppression, and Ka Bodyscapes (2016), which deals with gender and sexuality. Rhythm of Dammam, he says, is the culmination of his extensive research on the African diaspora in Asia and the Indian Ocean slave trade. Cherian has been interacting with the Siddi community since 2016, and stayed in their villages in Uttara Kannada in 2018.