Ishan Hendre

This Foundation Project implemented by IFA under Neighbourhood Engagements will create a series of video vignettes capturing stories of the gold and silver crafting community in Cubbonpete and Anchepete in Bangalore. Ishan Hendre is the Coordinator for this project.

Ishan Hendre is filmmaker and creative writer. He has a Bachelor’s in Creative Arts (B.Cr.A) with a major in Film and minor in Creative Writing from Srishti Institute of Art, Design and Technology, Bangalore. His past projects have included documentary films, story-telling and design. In his practice he places conversation and research at the centre of his work. His interests include the evolution of spaces, their habitation and the resulting multiplicity of connections. Ishan has worked in the Cubbonpete and Anchepete neighbourhoods before, and has built strong connections to its residents. Given his experience he is best placed to be the Coordinator of this Foundation Project of IFA.

The historic pete precinct in Bangalore has been home to trading communities – settlements from which the rest of the city grew. Many of the neighbourhoods of the old city pete get their name from the trade or the community that dominated the particular lanes. As Bangalore grows much of the areas in the pete are changing, with old craft workshops making way for newer shops and markets. These shifts have also led to changes in the industries and communities that inhabit the neighbourhood. One traditional industry that continues to enjoy a strong presence here is that of gold and silver crafts manufacturing. Cubbonpete and Anchepete are the two neighbourhoods where jewellers, goldsmiths and silversmiths remain active. The people working in both these industries consist of a large number of migrant craftsmen from other states, like Bengal and Maharashtra. These industries play a significant role in the environs of the pete as Bangalore is considered one of the largest centres for gold and silver manufacturing.

The purpose of this project is to document life in the pete through detailed interactions and interviews with its residents. By creating video vignettes and portraits, Ishan intends to capture the diversity of the industry, its community, and the evolving dynamics of the pete. Stories and lived experiences captured via recordings, photographs and video will be shared with residents of Cubbonpete, Anchepete and the surrounding neighbourhoods.

The outcome of the project will be video vignettes that capture the stories of Cubbonpete and Anchepete that will be shared with the community through a series of art interventions. Ishan’s deliverables to IFA will be process documentation of his research and interactions, phoographs and video vignettes, and documentation of the sharing. 

This project suitably addresses the framework of IFA’s Project 560 programme in the manner in which it artistically captures the history and lived experiences of the gold and silver industry in the old city pete in Bangalore.

IFA will ensure that the implementation of this project happens in a timely manner and funds expended are accounted for. IFA will also review the progress of the project over three months. After the project is finished and all deliverables are submitted, IFA will put together a Final Evaluation to share with Trustees.

This project is made possible with support from Sony Pictures Entertainment Fund.