Filmmaker Ajay Govind’s Basanti Tailors is set at Halduvala in Dehradun, in the Himalayan foothills. A poorly constructed tailoring shop, located in a sparsely populated area, is where Basanti “spins her magic” on sewing machines. Her granddaughter, Geetika or Ginny, as she is affectionately called, is her only companion in an almost uneventful life.
Basanti’s reputation is built on her unique ability to restore garments considered beyond repair, consistently surprising their owners by transforming ruined fabrics into bedspreads and curtains. This skill and the contrasting attitudes between urban and rural communities towards recycling, drives Basanti Tailors, a Hindi short film which highlights how recycling shapes everyday life. The film, set to be screened at the Chicago South Asian Film Festival 2025, is produced by Drishyam Films and the Azeem Premji Foundation.
The 17-minute film, starring Sohaila Kapur, Radha Bhatt, and Alaina, opens with Anupama (Radha Bhatt) and her son Aryavir visiting Basanti Tailors to drop off some clothes, discussing recycling along the way. While Basanati is astonished by Anupama’s demands like recycling bed sheets into bedspreads, Ginny swipes a t-shirt from the pile of clothes to be recycled.
Behind the scenes of Basanti Tailors
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The short film, which premiered at the Bengaluru International Short Film Festival in 2025, concentrates on the concept of old and new, as Basanti figures out a way to make a decision, without hurting her granddaughter.
“Recycling has always existed, be it a used shirt or a piece of cloth, which becomes a shred of cloth used to wipe the tables,” says Ajay, who has directed multiple documentaries, short films, music videos, and feature films over his 20-year-long career.
Ajay Govind, director of Basanti Tailors
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Ajay, originally from Kozhikode, says, “The story is inspired by a tailor, Basantiji, living on the outskirts of Dehradun. One day, we decided to recycle a few clothes into curtains and other things. There is a bag sewn by her in the background of the tailoring shop sequence in the movie.”
He adds, “One day, I gave her a shirt to be made into a bag. When I went there, I noticed that the shirt was still there, and she gave me a bag made from a different fabric. She told me the material was not suited for sewing. This made me wonder whether the shirt was new and worth recycling now.”
The filmmaker adds, “The film is a criticism on urban population’s motive behind recycling. It has become a market-driven initiative, which has led people to overlook it. For someone like Basanti who is from a different social stratum, recycling is an everyday reality.”
Ankana Joshi wrote the dialogues in the local dialect, and also worked as a dialect coach for Sohaila, a well-known television and film actor. “Initially, we were unsure of her playing Basanti. She has played urban characters, and that is her background as well. Once we watched her audition tapes, she was an obvious choice,” says Ajay.
In the movie, Ajay expresses contrasting perspectives of empathy. “In one of the scenes, Anupama says she will have her friends from Delhi bring their clothes to Basanti. But the reality is that an old woman like her isn’t looking to grow her business and that kind of business would be a burden for her. But you assume, that giving her more business will cement the relationship.”
The maker adds, “We wanted Anupama to come across as an empathetic person, but sometimes you need enough information to be empathetic.”
Later this year, Basanti Tailors will also be screened at the Taoba International Youth Film Festival in Tbilisi, Georgia and International Film Festival of South Asia Toronto, Cananda. Earlier in August, the movie was screened at International Documentary & Short Film Festival of Kerala.
Published – September 11, 2025 05:10 pm IST