Down the Drain

nitya mishra

collage animation

Nitya Misra was commissioned by the Science Gallery Bangalore, in a project funded by Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies, to make a film about sewage in Bangalore.

Waste is something that most people really don’t want to think about. Out of sight, out of mind. Especially so with sewage. 

Down The Drain is a documentary-fiction film about Bangalore’s sewage, told from the perspective of a woman who accidentally flushes a watch down the toilet.

In tracing the journey that the watch takes from the toilet, the woman gets glimpses into the pipes and people that make up the sewage system in the city, and observes the system as well as its parts through conversations with different people.

The film combines mixed media and formats to weave together a story along with conversations with the people who are a part of different levels of the sewage system in the city.

Paus was brought in to visualise various animated sections of the film, which we brought to life with collage animation, using both found imagery and archival images from Nitya’s library. 

Directed by Nitya Misra
Editor: Pradeep Gopal
Cinematographer: N Amit
Post Production Sound: Shreyank Nanjappa
Production Sound Mixer: Suresh Bagali
Executive Producer: Prajwal HP
Assistant Director: Preethi Sagar
Colorist: Joji Parakal
Other animation on the film: Oorjit BS, Debosmita Dam

All Collage Animated Sections by Paus
Team Paus: Deepti Megh, Nonisha Negi

This sequence visualises the population of Bangalore and the sewage they generate in more tangible terms. 

The woman in the film talks about the history of the watch: an HMT Vijay that was bought by her partner’s father with great pride, and eventually gifted to his son. The animated sequence visualises both the origins in the HMT factory, and the father, Deepak’s life. The images of Deepak are those from Nitya’s family archives, of her father. 

The woman in the film goes on an internet search to understand what might have happened to the watch after she accidentally flushed it. In doing so, she finds articles about a Rolex that was flushed and found. This sequence visualises the woman’s search for answers. 

Various government bodies are involved in the management of water bodies, waste and sewage in Bangalore. This animated sequence visualises just how complex tracing accountability and responsibility can be.