Not a Wasteland: Tale of Thar Desert documentary

“Not a Wasteland: Tale of the Desert” is a 35-minute interview-led documentary that challenges the notion that the Thar Desert is a wasteland. Through conversations with local communities and conservationists, it reveals a living desert with grasslands, scrub, sacred groves, and desert-adapted wildlife. The film shows how people and nature have coexisted and why this landscape matters for biodiversity, culture, and climate resilience.

But today, this delicate balance is under pressure, especially with the rapid spread of large-scale green energy projects across the region. This film is an attempt to listen to the land, and to those who call it home, and to question how we define progress in places we too often overlook.

The film challenges the perception of deserts as barren wastelands and instead highlights their ecological, cultural, and climate significance. It features conversations with Dr. M.K. Ranjitsinh, Pradip Krishen, Sunita Narain, and community members working to protect the Orans of the Thar Desert, sacred groves that embody the deep relationship between people and the land.

The screening of the documentary will be followed by a short Q-A and discussion session.

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