(2011/ 52 mins broadcast on Arte France, YLE Finland, DR1 and DR2 Denmark, RSI Switzerland & Netflix Worldwide)
The Rat Race winds its way through the grimy underbelly of Mumbai, through dimly lit alleys and crowded markets to tell the story of the city’s rat killers. Using the vehicle of the rat the documentary explores issues of livelihood, sanitation and development to paint a moving account of India at the crossroads and provide the human face of development with all its contradictions. It is the rare documentary that got a theatre release in 3 Indian metros and won critical acclaim.
Ganesh pays homage to Mooshik the sacred rat before setting out with a torch and stick to kill 30 rodents every night. He reports to his boss, Behram Harda, who once dreamt of setting the silver screen ablaze with his boogying skills, but ended up maintaining records of the 2.8 million rats killed by his department over 35 years.
2000 young men compete in tests of speed, strength and accuracy to land one of the 30 job openings for night rat killers in India’s commercial capital.
The Rat Race, winds its way through the grimy underbelly of Mumbai, through dimly lit alleys, crowded markets and overflowing garbage bins, to tell the story of the city’s rat killers. Through their tales of love, sacrifice and survival one glimpses the human face of development, amidst the rough and tumble of a rapidly changing metropolis.