Design Diploma Projects 01: Aakash Doshi

Day breaks; the morning tide starts to rise, towering windmills slice through the air in slow mechanical chops. Rays of sunlight dance merrily across the surface of jade green waters that slowly begin to ripple and crash as magnificent beasts start to make their way through, from one mangrove island to the other — there are the Kharai camels, the only camel species in the world that can swim, inhabitants of a sleepy little village in Kutch

Aakash Doshi follows this unique camel species in his final diploma project ‘Shifting Tides.’ Also documented in the film are two of the last Unt Maldharis (nomadic camel pastoralists) - Ahmedbhai and Ismailbhai, who continue in their forefathers’ footsteps as caretakers of the camels. They share a rare bond with the camels that dates back almost seven generations and the film explores and juxtaposes the duality between the Unt Maldharis and the onslaught of change, which has affected their livelihood and their unique traditional knowledge that is on the verge of disappearing.

Doshi, a filmmaker and animator from Pune, first came across the Kharai camels while working on a different story. He was intrigued by this unique camel breed and their nomadic caretakers and was curious to learn more. “One way of doing this is to make a film about them,” he says, “So when we had to decide on our Diploma Project, I decided to take it up.”

A graduate of the Srishti School of Art, Design & Technology with a specialization in Filmmaking, Doshi’s primary focus is Direction, but he also enjoys exploring and working on other aspects of filmmaking. With an interest in both fiction and non-fiction, he likes to work on human-centered stories, and it is here that the story of the Unt Maldharis and their relationship with the swimming camels comes into place.

As the region they were filming at was close to the border, all sorts of permission had to be obtained, “At one point it seemed like it was all going to fall apart and that we would never be able to film,” he says. However, they eventually managed to get all required greenlights and begin shooting. “It all paid off when we got on the boat and sailed to the mangrove island to film the Kharai camels,” says Doshi, “It was an amazing experience and everything started unfolding from there onwards.”

Presently, Doshi is working on a freelance documentary film on the tribal communities of India, and at an animation studio as well while working on a couple of personal projects on the side. One of the particularly exciting ones to look out for is The Maachis Project, a collaborative effort with a friend, where they look at old matchbox art and reinterpret it in their own illustration styles.

You can see more of Aakash’s work on Behance.