Hands that write, hands that paint, hands that mould clay pots, hands that play guitar, hands that water and nurture plants, hands that cook. Hands. The wonderful gift of god blessed with that creative power to shape different lives. Lajwanti P. Waghray, alumna of the Department of Communication discusses in her documentary ‘On Hands’, how different hands speak differently through the varied jobs they are employed at. The Department of Communication, University of Hyderabad (UoH) screened the documentary on 4th February 2020 at 2pm in the department in Laj’s presence.
The students in the first and second year of their masters attended the screening. The one hour and twenty minute documentary featured what hands meant to twenty people from different walks of life –painter, sculptor, pot maker, guitarist, cook and so on. It was interesting to see the beautiful creations of their hands. The screening was followed by a Q & A session. At a time when technology is taking over our life, Laj was curious to check if it is true that we are going away from using our hands. “It was the individualistic perception that interested me the most,” says Rohit, a student of first year MA Communication.
For Laj, it is a very happy moment as she is back in her alma mater, watching one of her works with her juniors. She says that she is excited as this was a completely unexpected opportunity. She fondly remembers the 90’s when she spent two years in the university. “It is the organic conversation that I built with friends from different departments that influenced and helped me the most in my career,” says Laj. Her new project ‘Searching for Sparrows’ is a Hyderabad based film on the dangerous imprints that urbanization has left on our natural habitats.
-Nimisha S Pradeep, Department of Communication.