"Most of the people who came to Nagpur used to get down at the bus stand, and to go around in the city, cycle was the only way. In those years, there were no auto-rickshaws or any other options."
— Yogesh Shinde, Proprietor, Shinde Cycle Stores
The bicycle, widely called 'cycle' across most of India, is often dismissed as a relic of the past. And yet, this near-ubiquitous, sustainable, and environment-friendly vehicle has been an important means of mobility and livelihood for Indians in cities, towns, and villages for over a century. 'Cycle of Life' — a documentary short film by Swanand Kottewar, Rahul Jambhulkar, Aniket Kolarkar, and Sanket Ray — is an intimate exploration of social change examined through the parallel lives of Umesh Sarate, a long-term cycle customer of Shinde Cycle Store, in Nagpur, and Yogesh Shinde, the store's current proprietor. As Sarate travels to the city from his village to buy wholesale goods from the local market, he rents a cycle from Shinde's cycle store and goes about his day.
"To take care of my parents and earn a basic living. That is the cycle of life."Umesh Sarate
Alternating between this day in the lives of both Sarate and Shinde, Cycle of Life traverses India's rural, urban, and industrial landscape. The film traces Sarate's journey from Nagpur's markets to his home-shop in the Takalghat village in rural Maharashtra, where he re-sells the goods. Here, too, a bicycle enables him to carry everything from loose tea leaves to nail polish all over the village selling his goods and wares to women while engaging in mundane conversations.
But as he cycles back home after a day's work, he talks about buying a motorbike to make his travels more convenient, pointing to the inevitable wheel of time turning against the humble bicycle — once the driving force of Sarate's business.
"My wish was to keep cycling at least till the age of 50. And somehow I managed to persistently do it too. But now I have booked a motorcycle. It will come on the 21st of this month. I will use the cycle for another 15 days now. (...) Time runs out now, when cycling," Sarate says.
As the day comes to an end, Shinde, too echoes a similar sentiment. "The cycle rental business is coming to an end now," he says as he shutters his shop for the night. "From 1200 cycles, we have come down to 20 cycles".
Sadly, such is the cycle of life.
Watch 'Cycle Of Life' by Swanand Kottewar, Rahul Jambhulkar, Aniket Kolarkar & Sanket Ray here:
The Nagari Short Film Competition 2024 Award Ceremony is scheduled to take place on Saturday, 14th December, 07:00 PM as part of the Godrej Design Lab’s Conscious Collective initiative at Plant 13, Godrej Enterprises Group, Pirojshanagar, in Mumbai.
If you enjoyed reading this, here's more from Homegrown:
All We Imagine: How Payal Kapadia Found Light In The Darkness Of The City Of Dreams
Adiraj Singh's Short Film Chronicles A Couple's Attempt To Escape Marital Autopilot
'Dream Your Museum' Explores The Complexity Of Minority Existence In Contemporary India